Persona 5: Trials of the Trickster
by Black Fuego Rio
Summary: A world in ruin. A rigged game. An unjust society. For as long as humanity has existed, the world has been on the cusp between peace and discord, and now that balance is being threatened, toppling towards the side of despair. During such times, rebels will rise up to fight against the oppressive world and free it from the chains of oppression. Will they succeed? Or fall?
1. Let the Game Begin

**Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.**

 _ **The world is not as it should be.  
It's filled with distortion,  
and 'Ruin' can no longer be avoided.**_

 _ **Those who oppose fate, and desire change…  
From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters**_

?/?/?/?

Chaos.

The only word that could appropriately describe what was going on in the massive casino at the moment. Patrons were scared, men in suits were patrolling the area, the security alarm was going on with no signs of stopping, and he was running out of time.

Above all else, though, he was alone.

It was supposed to be business as usual: Go in, secure the infiltration route, send the calling card, fight the boss, steal the treasure, and escape the with their lives intact. A routine that he and his comrades have settled in for months now. This time, though, things were going downhill fast, and he had to act quickly in order to salvage their heist. Security levels were at an all-time high, alarms were blaring, and enemies were crawling out of the woodwork faster than ever before. He was forced to separate himself from his comrades as a result, and he could've sworn he heard a helicopter outside just now.

He was honestly surprised to hear it, if he was being honest, considering how loud it was inside at the moment.

He smirked, however, as he hoped from chandelier to chandelier, railing to railing, above the throngs of patrons and guards that flooded the floor below him and listened to their sounds of surprise and panic. Despite all that was happening, he couldn't help but enjoy this little game of cat and mouse he was having with security. Deciding to have a bit of fun, briefcase in hand, the young raven-haired man revealed himself to the people below, standing atop one of the many light fixtures hanging in the ceiling and his free hand holding a wire to keep himself in place, his signature ensemble of a black trench coat, gray collared shirt, black trousers, brown heeled boots, red gloves, and most importantly, his white mask that hidden his identity during all his heists up to this point, shining in the moonlight. It was only a matter of time until—

"Up there!"

He smirked again, happy to have the attention of everyone below him. Especially the guards. Satisfied, he leapt off the light fixture and onto another one, pausing a quick moment to hide the briefcase in a nearby ventilation shaft, before rushing over to the nearest exit he could find.

"Treasure is hidden, and I got the guards' attention." The young man muttered as he pressed a couple fingers to his right ear, landing on a ceiling structure formed out of multiple hexagon-shaped lights.

 _{_ _Good job, now get running!}_ A boyish voice stated from within his head.

 _{This is our only chance!}_ Another male voice exclaimed, this one sounding older and more charismatic that the boyish one.

 _{Stay calm! You can get away now!}_ A young girl's voice said, a hint a panic in her tone somewhat contradicting her own advice.

 _{We'll grab the briefcase on our end.}_ A serious female voice spoke up, causing the young man to smile slightly, before frowning at the sounds of unfamiliar voices being heard by him and his comrades.

They could barely hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it put them all on edge even more.

 _{What was that?}_ The young girl's voice spoke up again.

 _{Ignore it for now. We have to stick to the plan.}_ Another calm female voice said, this one sounding softer and more tranquil than the serious girl from earlier, but no less urgent.

 _{Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!}_ The boyish voice from earlier ordered, prompting a nod from the young man before he sprinted off towards the light fixtures and monitor holders before him.

 _{But I have to say, showing yourself to the crowd was an excellent move. Nice work as always, Joker.}_ The boyish voice praised, getting a small smirk out of the young man, now identified as Joker.

"I aim to please," He said softly as he continued to hop onto a nearby sign before descending to a transparent light structure.

 _{I bet Skull wouldn't pulled it off that smoothly.}_ A fourth female voice teased, this one sounding just as energetic as the young girl's voice from earlier, but sounding a tad older.

 _{This happens because you have no taste for aesthetics…}_ A deep young man's voice stated, causing Joker to actually chuckle a bit in amusement.

 _{Nobody asked you, Inari!}_ An annoyed, vulgar sounding young man shouted.

Joker could only shake his head as he climbed up the lights and towards the doorway ahead. His comrades were an odd bunch of people, but he wouldn't trade them for anything. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in his amusement that he nearly missed the guards that were coming out of the door he was heading towards until one of them spoke up.

"There he is!" He announced, causing Joker to curse silently to himself as his main escape route was cut off.

 _{Just run! Get out of there!}_ The young girl's voice screamed.

 _{There should be another exit to your left. Head there immediately!}_ The tranquil woman's voice said, prompting him to turn his head to see a series of arcs that were leading towards a balcony and a stairway. His new target in sight, he sprinted off towards the walkway, hoping on each arc to reach his destination.

 _{_ _Ok, the enemy is focused on him. Looks like the rest of us can get away.}_ The boyish voice said with a hint of resignation that Joker was barely able to detect. Not that he blamed him, though, but what he was doing right now was the only way to ensure his companions' safety.

Otherwise…

 _No, I can't think like that right now._ The young man mentally berated himself as he got to the end of the arcs and hopped to the railings of the indoor balcony. _I have to focus right now. Any distractions and the plan will fall apart._

 _{Does everyone know where we're meeting up?}_ One more female voice questioned, this one sounding the most elegant out of the girls he's heard until now.

 _{No worries, I can guide you all.}_ The youngest voice spoke up again, this time with much confidence, putting a smile on Joker's face as he quickly scaled the railing and onto the balcony.

His smile quickly faded, however, as two guards showed up beyond the stairs before him, their normal bodies suddenly shifting to more misshapen forms, their skin entirely black and odd blue masks with yellow eyes stuck to their faces. He frowned a bit when sensed the presence of a third guard right behind him, just as oddly shaped as the previous two, before he turned to the newcomer with a small smirk appeared on his face. He knew that he was short on time at the moment, but if he were to be honest with himself, he was kind of glad to see a few foes at the moment.

Despite the typical trouble he and his team had when getting the treasure itself earlier that evening, he was still itching for a good fight. And he was never one to ignore such an inch.

Especially when his teammates were encouraging him to go for it.

 _{Take 'em down, Joker!}_ Came the energetic female.

 _{Yeah, show 'em who's boss!}_ The vulgar male cheered.

 _{Just remember to end it quickly. We don't have much time.}_ The serious female stated, her tone showing no argument before speaking up once more in a soft, concerned tone. _{And… Be careful out there, ok?}_

"Heh… Not a problem." Joker muttered with a wicked grin before leaping towards the surprised guard and landed on their shoulder, his right arm grabbing the bottom of its mask. With a swift, hard pull and without breaking a sweat, he ripped the mask right off of the deformed being, causing it to bubble and turn completely dark. Red, vein-like pulses covering its entire form, before a mess of black gunk suddenly exploded out of the body. From the explosion, a new form of the guard was revealed, this one taking the shape of what appeared to be a large mechanical minotaur with a vaguely snake-like body.

 _{Hmm… It appears to be a Sacrificial Pyrekeeper. Not something we've faced before, but nothing you can't handle, my fellow warrior.}_ The tranquil girl assured.

 _{She's right. Power level shows that this guy's no threat. Take 'em down, Joker!}_ The young girl spoke up excitedly.

"You got it…" Joker smirked, his gloved hand covering his face as his white mask slowly dissipated in a flurry of blue flames, the embers floating around him as dark chains came out of the ground below him. A dark, imposing figure slowly appearing behind him, its black wings spread wide with its blood red eyes and eerie crimson smile looking just as sinister as the young man before it.

The mechanical minotaur had no chance.

 **"RAVAGE THEM!"**

* * *

Joker frowned as he climbed the large stairway that his navigator told him to take. The fight between him and the monster did not take long at all, but it did attract more attention to him than he would've liked. Dodging the disfigured guards from earlier and making it to the doorway that was nearby was easy, but then he found even more security running around than before as he traversed the dark hallways of the casino's back area. He was getting worried about his teammates, especially after passing through a security room full of people, with one of them calling out that he wasn't alone and to kill whoever they found. After constantly hiding from his pursuers in the shadows and running at top speed up countless stairs, on top of all the fighting he had to do before everything went to hell, he was starting to feel a little exhausted. Thankfully though, the door that he was supposed to go to was right in front of him. It was a good thing too, since he was hearing footsteps behind him loud and fast. Rushing towards the door, he was greeted by the sight of a railing, a mess of people on the floor below him, and a giant ornate window on the other side of the large room, which confused him a bit. He didn't really see any way out of the casino other than…

 _{Is something wrong? The exit should be up ahead.}_ The young girl's voice spoke up again, causing Joker to quirk an eyebrow as he looked ahead towards the massive stain-glass window, pretty much confirming what he was thinking about.

"Through there…?" He muttered.

 _{That's just how it is…}_ The young girl said, sounding a bit sheepish. _{After that commotion, the bottom floor is—}_

 _{Completely closed off…}_ The serious voice from earlier grumbled, and Joker could tell she was just as exasperated by the persistence of the guards as he was.

 _{But hey, you can make it though, right?}_

He didn't answer the young girl's question, still staring at the window before him with a small frown marring his face. This wasn't something he'd done before, and it was going to take a lot of luck for him to pull it off. Then again, a lot of things that he had done up to this point were nothing but firsts. In any case, Joker knew for a fact that what he had to do was going to be quite the challenge. It was that thought, though, that turned his frown into a small smirk.

He loved challenges, after all.

 _"Over there!"_

 _"There's nowhere to run!"_

They've caught up to him. Joker turned to see three guards right behind him, all armed with pistols aimed right at him. Despite the immediate danger, his smirk never left his face, and with natural grace he hopped onto the railing itself and began running on the narrow strip. Never losing balance, he quickly ran towards the window, even going so far as to hop towards the last part of the railing to save time, before pausing right in front of his objective, kneeling down as he prepared to do his grand escape. With one last look and a cocky smirk at the guards, he decided to have one last word in before booking it.

"See ya!"

* _CRASH_ *

 _{Hmph… What a showoff.}_ The young girl scoffed.

 _{You're really reckless, you know that?}_ The energetic woman complained.

Yes… Yes, he was. If he had to be honest with himself as he sailed through the air and ignoring the shattered glass flying around him, he always did have a thing for theatrics and risk-taking and the like. It was probably due to all those grandiose stories that his father, grandfather and even older cousin always told him when he was younger. He as a sucker for anything action packed and full of mystery.

Or maybe his friends' eccentric behaviors were starting to rub off on him more than he thought. Hard to tell.

Landing on the ground with a quick roll to lessen any impact injury, Joker got up from his crouched position, ready to make his escape when his vision was blinded by a flash of white so bright he had to cover his eyes briefly. Right then and there he knew what was going on, even as his teammates began freaking out in the background.

The cops were right in front of him, blocking his way towards freedom.

It was an ambush.

"There he is! Capture him!"

The moment those words were said, Joker sprinted off to his right, the police right on his tail and the spotlight never leaving him. Looking forward, he noticed a flash of red and grinned as he saw a fire escape ladder right before him. Without any issue, he jumped up to it and began climbing, looking down at his pursuers with a smug grin as he continued upwards.

Only to be sent crashing down to earth from a blow to a rifle butt from a guard stationed at the very fire escape he was using.

It was over the moment he landed on the ground. The police were all over him, holding him down to prevent him from moving. His exhaustion had finally come up to him as well, unable to call upon the power he used against the Pyrekeeper he fought earlier. He was caught, and he knew there was no way out of it.

"Didn't expect to find some kid…" He heard as he saw someone walking up to him and grabbed his hair. "You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out."'

 _Sold out…._ He repeated mentally, staring at apparent head of the operation before the guy let go. As he felt the cops tightening their hold on him, one last thought rang through his head as he heard was more commotion from the frenzied law enforcement and the sounds of handcuffs snapping on his wrists.

 _I hope the others made it out…_

* * *

?/?/?/?

She sighed as she walked down the hallway, her mind a mess thanks to all that has happened lately. All she wanted in her life was to have a successful career and make enough money to ensure a good future for herself and her sister. All that became much more difficult though once the incidents started occurring, even more so when _he_ entered her life. The stress of everything was getting to her, she was aware of it, but she continued to do her job, to make sure she succeeded in everything that she'd work so hard for, and now, it seems that all of it was going to end.

 _But not like this. Out of all the outcomes that it could've been, it had to be this._ She mentally sighed, a hand on her silver hair and her face betraying nothing as she paused momentarily to adjust her business clothes while her mind was fretting. _Out of all the people who could've orchestrated this entire mess, why did it had to be him…_

Shaking her head in a poor attempt to calm down, she continued her walk until she reached her destination, a door at the end of the hallway with two guards posted near it, a cop and a detective.

"Excuse me, but this area's off-"

"I'm Niijima, from the Public Prosecutor's Office," The woman interrupted the detective, wasting no time to introduce herself.

"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?" The detective questioned.

"Just let me through; its urgent. There's something I need to confirm with the suspect." The prosecutor stated, her dark brown, near crimson eyes glaring at the two guards in annoyance.

"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction," The man in shades said smugly, bringing more ire out of the woman before him, "Besides…"

"Are you Prosecutor Sae Niijima?" Another male voice spoke up, and Sae Niijima turned to see another detective walking up to her with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression. "There's a call from your director. Hurry up and get it over with. To be frank, you're being an inconvenience."

The silver haired woman ignored the remark as she grabbed her phone. She heard such comments all throughout her career and grew practically numb so such statements. Besides, what she was doing right now was more important than dealing with a couple smart mouth ingrates.

 _{I thought I ordered you to stand by…}_ A tired old male voice sighed on the other line, one that the woman recognized by heart was her boss.

A man that she, personally, did not want to deal with at the moment.

"I'm responsible for both this case and the suspect yet I'm not even allowed an interrogation?!" Sae questioned harshly.

 _{I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up.}_ The director stated, further angering his subordinate.

"I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is _my_ case. And _he_ is _my_ responsibility," She stressed, not budging an inch until she got what she came for.

 _{Good luck to you then. I won't be expecting much though… Also, try not to have your ties with the suspect cloud your judgement.}_ The man conceded before hanging up, Sae scowling at her phone as she put it away.

"Ah, Prosecutor. I forgot to mention something important," The bespectacled detective spoke up, "Your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk to him for long."

Sae said nothing as she scowled deeper and looked away, not happy at all of the fact that she was on a strict time limit.

"His methods are unknown. After all, we don't even know if it's safe to simply meet and speak to him. Not to mention your own ties to him as well. He might know a few secrets about you and exploit them for his own gain if he hasn't already done it before. The kid's quite the little monster, after all."

 _He's no more than a monster than my sister is. In fact, the only monsters I see are all of you._ Sae wanted to say, but she knew she couldn't. Any favoritism at all will compromise her chance at interrogation, so she simply nodded with a curt "I understand" before being allowed into the room. The moment she entered, though, she had to hold back a shocked gasp at the sight before her.

There, sitting on a chair on the other side of the table, was the one person she was dreading to see. Battered and bruised, arms crossed on the table and looking down with a dazed look in his dark colored eyes and his trademark glasses missing, wearing his school uniform of a black blazer over a white turtleneck shirt and a pair of red and black plaid pants. He was dripping wet as well, and when Sae looked down at his legs, he noticed that one of them was swollen a bit with a shoe impression on his pant leg. She had to bite her lip to prevent the protective growl from escaping, before slowly walking towards the table to begin her interrogation on one of the most dangerous criminals in all of Japan. The mastermind of the infamous organization that made her job a living nightmare for the past few months. The simple high schooler that she often had dinner with along with her sister. The boy who she promised his grandfather to watch over as a friend of her own father…

The boy who was her charge, her responsibility, as his probation officer…

"Ren Amamiya… You just can't keep yourself out of trouble, can you?" Sae sighed, holding her head as a swarm of emotions began filling within her.

"…Sae-san? Is… Is that you?" A soft voice spoke up, prompting her to turn to her charge with wide eyes in both shock and relief.

"Ren-kun? Are you ok?" She asked softly, concern filling her voice before she could stop herself.

"…Could be better. My leg's hurting a little, but I'll be fine… I think." Ren mumbled softly before lifting his head slightly to give the woman a small smile. "It's good to see you again, though. Haven't _…_ really spoken to you in a while _…"_

"I've been busy, as you know, but it is nice to speak with you again. I just wish it could've been on better circumstances," Sae conceded with a sad smile before schooling her features. "You don't have to worry about anyone else coming in at the moment. You'll be answering my questions for now on, so I need you to be completely honest with me. Otherwise…things won't end well. For either of us."

"…I understand." Ren nodded before grimacing and grabbed his head in pain, prompting Sae to stand up from her chair in worry.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" She asked in concern before noticing something small on the floor. Looking down, her anger grew even more when she saw a syringe on the floor, and realized what had happened to the boy before her.

"…Those bastards," She cursed as she turned her attention back to her charge, who looked a little dazed once more, "Hey, can you hear me? You've been though a lot, haven't you?"

"…More than you know, Sae-san." Ren answered after a moment, looking a little more ragged than before.

"I figured, and that's what I'm going to find out." Sae said as she leaned forward, "Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me as honestly as you can. I don't have a lot of time myself either. So, tell me… What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident?"

"…Are you sure you're willing to listen?" He answered with a question of his own, causing his probation officer to look at him oddly, "My mind's a bit messed up by what the suits did to me, but I can tell you as much as you need. But…"

"But what? If you're going to say that it was all a prank, then don't. I may not have spent as much time with you as I would have preferred, but I would like to think that I understand you well enough to know you wouldn't do something as elaborate as this and simply right it off as some big joke." Sae stated with a glare. "So please, just tell me what I need to know. Especially the methods of how you managed to pull off your heists. I've been wracking my brain about it for months and I still have no idea how you and your friends managed to accomplish what you did."

"Of course, you couldn't…" Ren muttered softly with that small, teasing smile that Sae had seen often whenever the two and her sister were together. "The way we pulled off our heists is kinda hard to believe. Even I had trouble believing what we did every now and again."

"True. There's no way I could be convinced of such a…'world' by just the reports alone," She admitted with a soft laugh before schooling herself again. "In any case, pleasantries are over now, so I'm going to need you to tell me everything. How you discovered the other world, how you 'stolen' other people's hearts. All of it. From the very beginning."

"…I'll do my best," He said as he held his head, focusing on his memories to try and recall every detail of what has happened at this point. The drugs in his system were not helping one bit, but as he continued to focus, a familiar looking blue butterfly began fluttering in his mind's eye, and a voice began ringing in his head. One that he had been hearing on and off again for the past few months.

A voice that he has heard since the awakening of his power, and one that he had come to trust with his life.

 _ **You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is still reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…**_

 _ **I beg you, please overcome this game… And save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds-the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… When the game was started half a year ago… For the sake of the world's future… As well as your own… You must remember…**_

 _ **I know you can do it… My Trickster.**_

* * *

0 I

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XVI XVII

XVII XIX

XX XXI

 **Persona 5: Trials of the Trickster**

* * *

Chapter 1: Let the Game Begin

4/9/Overcast/Afternoon

It was the sounds of the announcement for Shibuya that roused young Ren Amamiya from sleep. Absentmindedly adjusting his glasses, he was surprised that he dozed off so easily, considering all that had happened to him recently. Staring at a nearby sign for a moment to reorient himself, the young man looked down sadly as memories of that terrible night replayed in his head. He could still recall the voices of that day as well. It was something that he would never forget…

* * *

 _"Ahh! Please help!"_

 _"Hey! Let go of her!"_

 _"You damn brat! I'll sue!"_

* * *

 _I still can't believe all that happened. Seriously, what kind of person do you have to be to pull off something like this?_ Ren thought as memories of the ill-fated incident flashed in his mind before shaking his head to rid himself of them. There was nothing he could do about his situation now other than to simply accept it and move on with his life until it blew over.

It was how he dealt with the other hardships in his life. This one would be no different…

"…A mental shutdown?"

"It's the truth!"

The young man grunted softly as he stared at the talking girls curiously. The girls themselves didn't look all too impressive, they seemed like the airheaded types to him, not his thing, but what they were talking about did catch his interest.

 _Mental shutdown… Wasn't that something Aneki was checking out a while back? I think she told me that they started happening a couple years ago._ He mused as he continued to stare at the girls stoically, his face betraying nothing as he was in deep thought _. To think that someone could just…breakdown like that so suddenly. And to think that all of these originated in Tokyo, too. No wonder Pops and Gramps were so adamant on keeping me away from here._

The ravenette let off a quiet sigh as he looked around the train, his eyes focusing on a suspended monitor detailing about the very case that the girls nearby were talking about. It was essentially repeating what the babbling females stated along with some miscellaneous info that he knew off hand, but he did have to quirk an eyebrow at the sight of the apparent 'Second Coming of the Detective Prince' appearing on screen. He heard about him, yes, but he didn't seem all that special to him. Deciding to ignore the screen, he stared at the window once more when he noticed that it was nearing a station. Assuming that it was where he needed to be, the young man grabbed his bag just as an announcement was made over the intercom, stating that they were almost to Shibuya.

 _Welp, might as well get this over with. Time to start off my new life as a city slicker for a year. Didn't think I'd make in time after taking that detour to say goodbye to coach and his wife, but looks like I had nothing to worry about._ Ren thought while sighing as the train slowed to a stop at his destination, stepping off of it and grabbed his phone out of the new school uniform he was given by his father to bring out his navigation and messaging apps. _Now then…where was I supposed to meet up with that Niijima lady Gramps set me up with?_

Rereading the message he received earlier today, the young man began to make his way towards Station Square, where he was told to look for a stern looking woman with silver hair and a section sign necklace of all things. He found that detail kind of odd but figured that the woman was into politics or something similar so he just went with it. At least he was familiar with the sign; he would always see it whenever he visited his grandpa's office when he was younger.

Following the instructions on his navigation app, Ren was happy to find that he managed to make it to his destination safely, only to become shocked by how many people there were at the moment. He knew that his new home was very populated, but he wasn't expecting it to be so packed. And it was just Shibuya. He couldn't even imagine what the other districts looked like.

"…God damn, and I thought Port Island was full of people. Coach's home has nothing compared to this place. And I can only imagine how the subway's gonna be. I am _so_ not looking forward to be treated like a packaged sardine for a year…

* _ping*_

"Huh? What's this?"

Surprised by the sound coming from his phone, the young man looked down to it and saw an odd-looking symbol in the middle of his map app. It was a red icon that took the shape of an eyeball with a star for a pupil and what looked like an explosion in the background. He didn't remember installing an app like that, and, without even touching it, it suddenly became bigger, covering nearly half the screen. Curious, he decided to press it to see what it did, but after a couple pokes, nothing seemed to happen.

 _First day here and now my phone's infected with malware? That figures… Things never go right in my life..._ Ren mentally grumbled as he tried to move the app to no avail. He let off a slight growl as he glared at the phone before shaking his head and closing his eyes to try and calm himself down. _…Dammit, why did it have to come to this. All I wanted to do is help and now I'm stuck here away from my family, living in some stranger's place and being checked in on by one of Gramp's associates who will most likely shaft me at every opportunity like the bloody hard-asses they are. I can't believe I'm thinking this…but I'm starting to wonder if trying to save that woman was worth all this stupid crap._

 _ **Was it all a mistake, then?**_

Ren's eyes sprung wide open at the sound of the deep, echoing voice. Panic began to set in, and he started to look around to find who spoke to him, when he let out a gasp at what was happening around him.

It was as if time was slowing down all around him. People and vehicles were moving in a snail's pace before halting completely. Any and all source of electronics were frozen, with the odd exception of his phone. Ren was terribly confused as well, wondering what was going on and why he was the only one who was still able to move, and was about to freak out when he saw something that seemed to be calling him.

There, in the middle of the street, between the throngs of still pedestrians, was a raging blue flame. It looked very wild, as if it was going to spread out and engulf anyone who was near it, but for some reason, Ren appeared drawn to it. He had no explanation as to why that was the case, but as the large flame began to take shape, he felt a sense of familiarity to it. As if it was something he should recognize.

He continued to stare at the blaze as it took the formed of what appeared to be a humanoid winged demon. He didn't flinch when he saw red flames in the form of evil eyes and a monstrous grin appearing in the 'face' of the blaze, too mesmerized by the unusual, yet somehow inviting show, until he saw something coming out of the flame that he was definitely not expecting.

His own face, sinisterly staring back at him with menacing golden eyes that were begging for a fight.

It was that sight that snapped him out of his trance, and it was only then that he noticed that everyone was moving again, as if nothing happened at all, and the mysterious blue fire was gone. Looking back at his phone, he stared at the weird crimson app that he was sure was the cause of all that, before holding it down, glad that he was able to finally move it, before sending it to his digital trash bin.

… _What the fucking hell was that all about? Did I seriously just see myself in a pillar of fire? And why the hell did everything freeze up like that?_ The confused teen thought before shaking his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Dammit, this is getting way too freaky for me_ … _Is Tokyo always like this? Fucking hell, I hope this year goes by fast… I want to go home._

"Excuse me. Are you Ren Amamiya?" A stern female voice spoke up behind him, and Ren turned to see someone walking up to him.

She had long silver hair parted to one side and was staring at him with such intense brown eyes that they looked almost red to him. She was wearing a typical business suit he had seen other female workers wear and she was holding a small bag that looked to be a laptop case, but what was the biggest thing he noticed was her necklace.

It was the section sign, which meant that she was the one who he had to meet.

"I am. And you're Niijima-san, correct?" He questioned.

"Correct. I'm Sae Niijima, your probation officer during your stay here. It is my responsibility to ensure you stay in line during your stay here, so I suggest you do what I say, unless you wish to suffer the consequences." The woman, Sae, confirmed with a nod and a stern expression, causing the ravenette to stare at her with a dumbfounded expression before briefly checking on her small wrist watch, "I see that you made it on time. I was informed you were going to stop at Tatsumi Port Island to visit an acquaintance of yours one last time before arriving, so I was expecting you to arrive a little later. Good to know that you're punctual."

"…Visiting my former coach didn't take too long. It was really just to say goodbye to him and his family and paying respects to his old friends like I did after my last game with him." Ren admitted with a soft tone of voice while scratching the back of his neck before turning his head to the center of the city square with uncertainty. "Um… Niijima-san? Is there…some kind of light show or something going on today?"

"…No. There shouldn't be. Why do you ask?" The silver haired woman questioned, causing Ren to stare at her in confusion for a moment before shaking his head and mumbling a quick 'never mind'.

 _Okay then… Doesn't look like she knows what happened. Or anyone else, for that matter._ _Does that mean that I'm the only one who saw that weird-ass fire?_ He thought as he stared at the pedestrians around him with a frown when he heard his probation officer call out to him.

"Amamiya-kun, I know the city is a new experience for you, but I suggest you not dilly-dally. I have to take you to your caretaker before the day is done…" Sae said as she turned around and headed towards the street. "Come. My car's nearby. The man who you will stay with lives in the Yongen-Jaya district, a quick car or subway ride from here. You shouldn't have any issues finding his residence once we get there."

"I understand," He nodded as he began following the woman towards a fancy looking silver sports car, the air around them awkward and tense.

The drive to their destination was a silent one, Sae focusing on her driving while Ren simply being a quiet person by nature. Despite that, though, he was curious about his probation officer. She looked quite young to be one, probably just a bit older than his cousin. Not to mention the necklace that she wore. He recognized what that symbol typically meant, and with that, he allowed his curiosity to take over and ask her a simple question.

"Are you into politics, Niijima-san?"

"Excuse me?" Sae responded, looking at him briefly as they stopped for traffic.

"Your necklace," Ren clarified as he pointed at the item in question, "I remember my gramps telling me that the section sign is used as a symbol of the justice system. Law enforcement and stuff like that. I know you're my probation officer, but I was kinda curious if you had another job as well. Like a lawyer or something."

"Hmm… I'm surprised that you know about that. Not many people do," She responded with a small nod of approval before turning her attention to the road. "But now that you mentioned it, yes, I am into politics, but not as a lawyer. I'm a Public Prosecutor over at the Special Investigations Unit, but I do work with the police force every now and again. Currently I'm investigating the string of mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown cases that have been happening lately and see if there's any connection between them. I can't say much about it, but it's been proving to be a difficult task. I'm positive that I'll be able to solve it, though. It's just a matter of time."

 _What the hell…?_ The young man thought as he stared at the woman beside him in surprise. _A prosecutor from the SIU who's looking into the same cases Gramps and Aniki were discussing about before I was sent here? Wouldn't she be too busy to be dealing with someone like me? How the hell did Gramps get someone like her to be my probation officer?_

"I bet you're wondering why someone like me was asked to look after you as a probation officer…" Sae stated while side-eyeing her charge, smirking slightly when he jumped a little at the, admittedly true, accusation, before frowning as she began speaking in a more somber tone, "I have a…history with your grandfather. He was my father's mentor for a time and even taught me a few things while I was in college. He even helped me and my little sister out for a bit when our father died in the line of duty. I owe him a lot, so when called me and explained to me your situation, I felt…obligated to help. I may be extraordinarily busy with my job and supporting Makoto but looking after his unruly grandson who went and got himself jailed for something he had no right to interfere in shouldn't be too much of a hassle."

"…I understand." Ren muttered in response, now feeling quite guilty for putting the woman through so much. It sounded like things were going quite rough for her at the moment and adding him along to the list of what to take care of definitely added some unwanted stress to her. She had the right to be annoyed by this outcome, and he didn't even blame her for her words. If the situation was reversed, he'd probably be acting and feeling the same…

"Look, I was told about your situation already by your grandfather, Amamiya-kun," Sae spoke up, catching the teen's attention. "While I may not agree with the method that you used, I will admit that what you did was, admittedly, quite chivalrous. I probably would've done something similar, if not worse, if I was your age. Especially if my sister was involved… However, even if you had good intentions, what you did was reckless and dangerous, and now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions. As your probation officer, it is my duty to ensure that your rehabilitation goes smoothly until the charges are lifted, so as long as you behave yourself, and don't cause any unnecessary trouble for me or your other guardian, the year should be over quickly and you'll be back home with your family. Do you understand?"

"…I understand, Niijima-san. I promise not to be a burden to you or my caretaker. And…thanks for looking out for me," Ren said after a moment, a small smile on his face as he expressed his gratitude. The woman didn't say anything immediately, though he did catch a faint smile on her face for a moment before it was replaced with a stern expression. Though this time it seemed…gentler to him for some reason.

"Call me Sae, if you wish. If I'm going to be watching over you, we should at least be familiar with one other." She said as she slowed down to a stop, parking in front of a nearby delivery truck and began exiting the car. "We're here. Come on. Let's go see your caretaker."

With a nod, Ren got out of the vehicle and proceeded to follow his probation officer, walking past the truck parked behind them, and stopped at a fence that was guarding a large, two story building that, to him, looked more akin to one of those western apartment complexes he'd seen on TV, but narrower. After staring at the impressive building for a bit, he turned his attention back to Sae, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at the speaker near the fence entrance.

"Hmm… Sakura-san isn't here. He usually answers by now. And it doesn't seem like _she's_ in the mood to come out either…" He heard her mumble and was a bit surprised to hear a bit of melancholy towards the end of her statement, before shaking her head. "He is most like at his café at this time. Best to go there now since it's just around the corner. It won't take us long."

She was right, the walk to the café didn't take that long at all, although Ren was surprised to see so many different stores and buildings so close to each other in such a small distance; a small movie theater, a grocery store, a pharmacy, even a pawn shop. What especially surprised him was the sight of a batting cage being so close to his new home and made a mental note to visit the place as soon as he can. After a quick walk and rounding the corner before the pawn shop, the pair arrived at their destination.

"Here we are. Let's go in," Sae said as she opened the door and walked inside with Akira, the welcoming bell jingling as they passed the threshold.

Akira had to admit, the place looked pretty good. A bit old school with the booths and bar, but all in all, it didn't look all that bad. There was even a TV on the other side of the room, displaying the local news channel for the customers to see.

Speaking of customers, Ren noticed a few people were already relaxing in their own way throughout the establishment; an old couple with a cup of coffee each, and an old man with slick, yet balding black hair and goatee, a pink dress shirt behind a green apron and a pair of light brown kakis, sitting on one of the barstools and apparently doing a crossword, if he had to guess. He had a feeling that the slick haired man was the one he and Sae were looking for, or at least the manager Sakura worked under, and turned his head towards her to ask, until he noticed that her attention was focused solely on the news.

 _{A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it! The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up!}_

"Tch, we're working on it. People like him have no idea how much time and effort we're putting in to stop these cases," He heard Sae mutter darkly, and decided it would be best to let he be for the moment. He turned to the old couple who were talking about the bus incident, and even mentioning that something similar had happened the other day, before focusing back to the balding man, who was still working hard on his crossword.

"Vertical is…the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…"

"Clam," Ren spoke up before he could stop himself, not only catching the attention of the manager, but also snapping Sae out of her annoyance.

"Huh? Niijima-san? What are you doing…" The manager began before noticing the frizzy haired young man beside her, and his mood dropped considerably. "…Oh, right. They did say that was today."

"And I just reminded you about it this morning, Boss? How can you forget something like this so quickly?" Sae questioned with a hand on her hip and a quirked eyebrow, and somehow, Ren had a feeling that she was teasing the man, but he couldn't be sure.

"Shut up. I'm old, cut me some slack." The manager responded in kind, allowing a small smirk at her direction before focusing back at Ren, his frown returning quickly.

"We'll be going now. The payment's on the table." The elderly man said as he and his wife got up to leave.

"Thanks for coming." The manager nodded politely.

"This place is in the back alley, so there's no worries of a car crashing in here."

"A what now?" The manager questioned the elder in surprise, catching both newcomers' attention.

"Boss, have you not heard of the shutdowns and breakdowns that have been happening all over the city? It's been the only thing the news channels been talking about for the longest time now." Sae stated while Ren stared in confusion, the pair wondering how out of touch the old man was with current events _._

"She's right. There's been a sting of those rampage accidents for some time now. I just hope none of those happen here." The elder explained.

"Eh, it's none of my concern," The manager said nonchalantly, causing Ren to look at him bemusedly.

 _So_ , _this is Sakura-san_ … He thought as the elderly couple made their way to the exit. _He looks pretty laid back for a business owner. I hope I can get along with him._

"Ugh… Four hours for a single cup of joe…" The man groaned, catching Ren's attention once more while Sae allowed herself a small laugh.

"Well this is what happens when you go into food service, Boss. You don't get much work either, so I'd take whatever business I get if I were you," The prosecutor stated with a light teasing tone, something that Ren wasn't really expecting to hear from the serious looking woman beside him.

"Ah, who asked you?" The manager scoffed before focusing on the youngest of the group with a stare of indifference. "So, you're the guy? Ren Amamiya, right?"

"I am. Please take care of me…" Ren nodded with a bow of respect.

"Uh-huh. At least you got manners," The manager acknowledged as he went to introduce himself. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody with Niijima-san here hounding over you every now and then for the next year."

"You didn't have to phrase it like that, Boss…" Sae grumbled with her arms crossed.

"I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the guy," Sojiro continued, ignoring the woman's statement, much to her annoyance, before rubbing the back of his neck in frustration "Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and—"

"He already knows. His grandfather already explained the situation to him," Sae spoke up, getting a quick, unnoticed look of gratitude from Ren in response. He wasn't looking forward to recalling the little talk he and his family had regarding _that_ little fiasco.

His grandfather wasn't really happy with the arrangement and was even chiding his father for setting him up with an apparent stranger of all things until they talked a little more… He had no idea what his father said, but it apparently got the older man off his case in the end.

"Really? Well, none of that matters now. Follow me. You too, Niijima-san," The manager dismissed as he walked towards the stairs, Sae and Ren following close by. The moment the two reached the top of the stairs, though, the immediately stopped, stunned by what they were witnessing.

"This is your room," Sojiro stated as he stood in the middle of the attic, the place being what Ren could honestly have considered more of a storage area more than a bedroom.

The room was quite big, bigger than his old room back home, but that was the only good thing he could say about it. The room itself was a mess; dust floating everywhere, bags of trash and boxes scattered around the room, shelves and tables littered with books and what looked like coffee bean sacks, old gasoline bottles, a heater, and even a nearly dead plant shoved off on one corner of the room, a dusty old couch that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and a pathetic excuse of a bed on the far side of the room.

"I'll at least give you sheets for the bed," Sojiro said as he turned to Ren, quirking an eyebrow when he noticed the boy's eye was twitching slightly at the sight of the room that was essentially his for the next year. "You look like you wanna say something…"

"Uh…" Ren began, wondering how he could tell him is opinion of the trashy room as tactfully as he could.

Thankfully though, he was saved from answering by an unexpected source.

"Boss, you can't honestly expect him to stay here. I know he has a criminal record and all, but this is too much! Look at this place!" Sae spoke up after being silent for so long, gesturing all around the room to prove her point.

"What, am I supposed to keep him in my place? There's no way I'm going to let a criminal sleep in the same building I'm in. Besides, the room's not that bad. He can get the majority of the place cleaned in about a day." Sojiro shrugged, uncaring of the words the woman had for him.

"That is beyond the point, Sakura-san. Amamiya-kun needs a stable environment to live in for the duration of his stay and this _hardly_ qualifies as such! The dust here is so thick you don't even need light to see it!"

"Well, in that case, just have him stay with you then. If you think a punk like him deserves a better place, then why not the home of his probation officer?"

"I don't have the time nor the resources needed to watch over him. I'm swamped enough as it is. Besides, it's not my job to house him. I'm to simply check in on him to see if he's behaving at his grandfather's request. Your job is to give him proper housing for the duration of his probation. Something that you're failing at spectacularly."

"If I'm failing so badly at this, then go and find another place for him to live. It's no skin off my bones if I'm not watching over the brat."

As the two argued, Ren began to feel very uncomfortable. He honestly felt bad about causing such trouble for the two of them. They were both put into a position that neither of them asked for because of him, and he wanted to try and make it up to them. He had nothing against them either; they were both good people in his eyes, albeit both very strict in their own way, and really didn't want to end his first day in Tokyo possibly in the streets because of something as sad as a dirty attic.

"Sae-san, Sakura-san, its fine. I can handle it here," He spoke up in hopes of getting his guardians' attention. "The room's not… _that_ bad. I can get it clean no problem. Honest. Besides, it looks a lot better than my dad's workshop back home. It shouldn't take me too long to get everything settled, at least for tonight."

Ren and Sojiro stared at the young man before them, both of them surprised to hear such a response from him. Relenting their argument, the two turned to him, Sae looking a little exasperated while Sojiro stared at him with indifference.

"Well, as long as you're ok with it, I suppose," Sae relented with a sigh.

"Hmm, there you go. Kid knows what's up, unlike some people I know." Sojiro stated with a small smirk, relishing in the annoyance the young woman was radiating, before turning back to his charge, "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night while in my custody, so don't do anything stupid while I'm not here. I'll toss you out and have Niijima-san here handle you on her own if you cause trouble, which I doubt she'd be happy with. Understand?"

"I do." Ren said with a nod.

"Good," The café owner sighed as he crossed his arms and stared at the teen intensely. "I got the gist of your situation from Niijima-san. You protected some woman from some man forcing himself on her, he got injured, and you ended up being sued. Right."

"That's pretty much it, yeah." The teen shrugged, causing the store owner to glare at him while Sae sighed at the young man's nonchalance about his incarceration.

"With that kind of attitude, no wonder you got your ass hauled to the station," Sojiro grumbled, getting a surprised look from Ren in response, "That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"

"…Sort of. You see—"

"…And now that you got a criminal record, you got expelled from your high school," The man continued, not wanting to hear the explanation and ignoring Sae's gaze for his rude behavior. "The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass—"

"Parent…"

"Excuse me?" Sojiro asked, looking at Ren curiously while Sae stared at the young man in surprise.

"I only have one parent. My dad. My mom died shortly after she had me, so it's just the two of us for the most part. Other than him, I got my Gramps from my mom's side, who's usually pretty busy with his own things, and my aunt and cousin from dad's family. They run their own business in Dad's old home town, which is even more rural than where I live, so they don't have a lot of time to come visit. I get along with my cousin's girlfriend pretty well, but she's gone more often than not because of her job…" The teen explained everything with a straight face, uncaring of the uncomfortable looks his two guardians were giving him. He had seen such looks for most of his life and was simply used to them. His mother was gone only a few days after he was born, so he didn't have any memories of her to begin with. Just stories of her from his father and grandfather.

"Damn… Sorry for bringing that up," Sojiro muttered apologetically, feeling a little guilty for bring up, what he perceived to be, a sore subject for the kid, before turning his attention to Sae. "Hey, you know about this kid's family more than I do. Why didn't you tell me he only had one parent?"

"It wasn't my place to say. I wasn't expecting you to bring his parents up in such a way either. Besides, how would you feel if someone brought up your d—"

"What did I say about bringing _that_ up," Sojiro growled, something that Ren was not expecting to hear from such a laid-backed individual, while Sae simply stared back at him impassively, before the man turned away and glared at the boy, his mood much lower than before. "Listen, kid. It's best to not mention anything unnecessary while you're staying here. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Don't cause any trouble for me or this annoying woman next to me for the year. You do that, and your probation will be lifted."

"As callous and rude as he's being, Sakura-san has a point," Sae conceded with a side-eye glare at the older man, "You're on thin ice as it is, Amamiya-kun. If you get involved in another incident, you'll be sent straight to juvenal hall, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Not even me."

"I understand. I'll be on my best behavior for you both," Ren assured with a nod.

"Good, now with that settled, take it easy up here for now. We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow to get things set up for you," Sojiro said, getting a confused look from the teen in response.

"Shujin?"

"Shujin Academy, the school your grandfather and I managed to get you enrolled in following your expulsion from your previous school," Sae explained as she gestured to the clothes Ren was wearing. "The uniform you're wearing, the one I mailed to you, is for their school. Be sure to wear it tomorrow while we introduce you to the staff. I'll be meeting you and Boss over there and I'll be bringing my sister as well so I can introduce the two of you together. She's a third-year student there, the student council president to be exact, so she'll be watching out for you as well during school hours."

"Heh, hear that, kid? You're going to be monitored wherever you go, so be sure to not cause any trouble," Sojiro chuckled with a small smirk before looking away with an annoyed expression. "But seriously, I got to spend an entire day hanging out with a delinquent, his stuffy warden and her kid sister in a school the kid was lucky enough to get in? What a waste of a Sunday…"

"You think you're the only one bothered by this? I have to go to work as soon as we finish getting Amamiya-kun situated in Shujin, maybe even earlier if the Director calls me in. If that happens, I'm going to need you to watch over Makoto and take her to the station for me." Sae stated, causing Sojiro to scoff off to the side.

"Are you kidding me? Now I gotta play babysitter for two brats? What a pain," He grumbled before turning back to Ren, who was silent for the whole exchange, "Well, that's that I guess. I put your luggage in the middle of the room here. Have fun sorting everything out."

"I have to get going as well," Sae spoke up after checking her watch briefly, "Makoto should be home by now and I promised to explain what's going to happen tomorrow as soon as I get back. Not to mention the paperwork I have to take care of before work. Looks like I'm in for a long night, again."

"I'll give you a cup to go for you then. Might help keep you focus for the night," The store owner suggested, getting a grateful look from the tired prosecutor.

"I'd appreciate that, Boss. I'll take the house blend then, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

With that, the pair went downstairs, leaving young Ren alone in the mess of the room with nothing but a cardboard box full of his stuff, a multitude of things to clean, and his thoughts.

 _Shujin Academy… Who in their right mind thought naming a school that of all things was a good idea?_ He mused incredulously as he kneeled towards his luggage and began rummaging through it. _Seriously, though. I know most people think that's school's a prison and all, but to have one be actually called 'prisoner academy' off all things? That's just messed up on so many levels. I know that the name's most likely under different kanji, but that doesn't make it any better. And with me and my situation, going to a school with a name like that is, like, god-level irony right there._

With an exasperated sigh, Ren stuck his hand deep into his luggage box and pulled out the things he was looking for, a bottle of disinfectant wipes and a feather duster; items that he couldn't help but smirk in amusement as soon as he got them out of the box.

"Heh, and Aniki said it was a stupid idea for Auntie to pack cleaning supplies in here. Welp, it seems that she got the last laugh this time," He muttered to himself as he stood up, looked around the room once more, before putting the duster and disinfectant under his arms and cracked his knuckles.

"Alright, time to get to work."

* * *

Evening

-Unknown Apartment Complex-

Sae let loose a soft, tired sigh as she made her way towards the apartment she shared with her sister, a Styrofoam cup in one hand with her personal book bag underneath the other. It annoyed her somewhat that she had to go and drop off a kid a year younger than her own sister on one of her few days off, but it didn't turn out too bad in the end. The young man, Amamiya, seemed to be a relatively quiet and respectable individual, just as his grandfather described. Smart as well, if his knowledge about current events and even politics thanks to his recognition of the style of her necklace was any indication. The young man seemed to be someone who would end up becoming something great when he grew up, were it not for his record.

 _A shame he threw his future away so carelessly. The young man definitely took after his mother when it came to aiding others. At least he didn't suffer the same fate she did. I doubt his father and grandfather would be ok with losing another member of their family. At least this time it's only for a year…instead of permanently._ The woman thought darkly as she climbed the stairway of the complex. She had to admit that she had a shred of respect towards the boy for doing what he did to help, but how he did it was something she couldn't approve. There was no way she could ever approve of something so reckless…

His grandfather apparently did, though, and she couldn't help but be bothered by it slightly. She still recalled the conversation she had with the man a week ago, when she was asked to look after the boy during his sentence…

 _ **-Flashback, one week prior-**_

 _"You want me to do what!?" Sae practically screamed into her phone, silently glad that Makoto was out at the moment so that she wouldn't see her older sister freaking out in their own home._

 _{Sae-chan, I already told you about the situation multiple times now. Don't make me repeat myself again…} An elderly voice groaned from the other side of the device._

 _"I'm sorry, sir, but what you're asking me to do is not something that I can handle at the moment! I already have my hands full with my job and Makoto, and now you want me to take in a delinquent who couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business!?"_

 _{I assure you that Ren is not a delinquent. He was at the right place at the right time but ended up dealing with the wrong people. I honestly commend him for what he did, but I'm afraid he's going to have to accept responsibly for his actions, no matter how unfair they may seem.}_

 _"You're actually commending someone who assaulted a man in the name of 'justice'? Sir, pardon my words, but you must be going senile if you're actually praising your grandson for something like this!"_

 _{He has a good heart, Sae-chan. Just like his parents. And even your father. In fact, if Kyousuke was still around, I'm sure he'd—}_

 _"Don't you even think about bringing my father into this, old man! I don't need to hear it!" Sae practically screamed into her phone, her temper finally reached its boiling point, before realizing who she was talking about and tried to calm down. "…Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to lose it like that. You know how I get when…_

 _{…I understand, Sae-chan. I didn't mean to upset you, nor bring up Kyousuke. I forget that he's still a sore spot for both you and Ma-chan.} The aged man's voice sounded much more tired, and Sae began to feel guilty for adding unnecessary stress to the man. He was old enough as it is, but she still had to get her point across._

 _"Look, sir, I understand the situation that your family's going through, but I don't have the time nor the room to look after another person. My home is small enough as it is with just me and Makoto. Adding another person to stay with us full time is—"_

 _{Oh, Ren's not going to stay with you. You will have to check in on him every now and again, and you are allowed to take him in at any time if you think his accommodations aren't fit, but for the most part, he will be in someone else's care.} Amamiya interrupted, causing Sae to blink a couple times to process what she had just heard._

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _{My son-in-law was given an interesting proposal earlier today by one of his friends that lives in Tokyo. Apparently, she mentioned our family situation to the owner of the café she frequents and suggested that he takes care of Akira during his probation. I was against it at first, but after doing a bit of digging on the man, I gave Takuya the ok to give the man a call. We already have the money ready for him and are going to wire it within the next few days. All I'm asking you is to pop in every now and again to see how's he doing.} The elder explained, and Sae couldn't help but gape at the plan._

 _"…Are you seriously going to allow your grandson to stay with a total stranger until his probation is over? What made you think that was a good idea? Do you even know anything about this person?"_

 _{Well it's not like we had much of a choice in the matter, Sae-chan. With you currently unable to house him due to your living arrangements, this was the only option that we had. If we had it our way, we could have at least sent him to Tatsumi Port Island or something. At least there he could've stayed with that odd baseball coach of his. The judge was adamant about sending him to Tokyo, though, and if I am forced to send my only grandchild to the city where I lost my daughter, then at least I want to make sure that whoever is watching over him treats him well enough. …I'm sorry to put you through this, but we literally have no one else to turn to for this.}_

 _"Sir…" Sae muttered as heard the despite plea of the aged officer, her eyes downcast as she took in the information she was given. She was aware that the difficult situation that her father's mentor was in, but she had underestimated how much of a toll it was taking on him and the rest of his family. She knew better than anyone how difficult it is to deal with such a painful incident that devastates families, both as an observer and from personal experience. She also knew that she already had so much on her plate that adding more is just going to make things much harder for her than ever, but she owed it to the man on the phone. After all he had done to help during her time of need, it would've been rude to not return the favor._

 _{If you really don't want to do this, its fine. I can try and find someone else who can—}_

 _"Alright… I'll be his probation officer." She interrupted, relenting to the idea with a sigh, and could already imagine the big smile and sigh of relief on the old man's face thanks to her cooperation._

 _{Thank you, Sae-chan. You have no idea how much this means to me…}_

 _"I think I have an inkling, sir," Sae smiled softly, despite knowing the old man wouldn't be able to see it. "So, do you have any idea what café Takuya-san's friend was talking about? I enjoy a good cup of coffee, so I frequent a number of shops. There might be a chance that I know who he's sending his son to."_

 _{He told me that the shop's name is Leblanc.} Amamiya answered, causing Sae's eyes to widen in surprise, {I think it's a bit of an odd name to have for a Japanese café, but then again, I'm not much of a coffee person these days…}_

 _"Leblanc, huh?" She repeated, a small smile now firmly on her lips as she recalled that café in particular. "You're in luck, sir. I happen to be quite familiar with the establishment. I'll meet up with the owner later this week to discuss what's going to happen, but I assure you that he is capable of taking care of your grandson. And I'll help out as much as I can on my end."_

 _{I understand. Thank you so much, Sae-chan.}_

 _"Not a problem, sir."_

 **-Flashback End-**

 _To think that I've been pretty much guilt-tripped in to this position… But I suppose it isn't too bad. So long as Amamiya-kun doesn't repeat his mistake, everything should go smoothly._ Sae thought as the memory of the conversation faded, pausing right in front of the door to her apartment. Although still a trifle bitter about her current arrangement with the young felon, at least he was willing to simply go through the process without fuss. So long as he did as he was told, things will go well for everyone.

"Makoto? I'm home!" Sae called out as she entered her home. It was a modest one, she had to admit, but it had all the necessities she and her sister needed for a comfortable lifestyle for now. Good furniture, a flat-screen tv mounted on the wall, comfortable beds, the works. It took a long time and a lot of effort to get all those things, but they were all worth the effort.

Now, if only she had time to actually enjoy the commodities she got for herself and her sister…

"In the kitchen, Sis! I was just finishing up my homework for the night!" A kind, sounding voice answered, causing the prosecutor to quirk a smile, a small bubble of pride at the sound of her little sister working diligently on her studies. Removing her shoes and setting them near the door, she walked over towards the kitchenette, finding the other resident of her home working away in a textbook on the table.

The young brunette was only slightly older than Sae's charge by a few months, her auburn eyes focused solely on her homework, and was still in her school uniform of a white turtleneck, black halter vest, plaid skirt and her brown stockings, along with her favorite brown hairband, a gift from their late mother. Allowing herself to relax a little, the woman set her bag on the sofa in the living room, pulling out her laptop in the process, and proceeded to sit in the kitchen across from her sister.

"Hey Sis. How did everything go?" The young woman asked as she looked at the silver haired prosecutor, noticing that she looked a bit worn out even as she took a sip of coffee.

"Honestly, not that bad, all things considered," Sae answered as she set her drink down, "Amamiya-kun is now situated in Sakura-san's café for the time being and plans have been made to take him to Shujin tomorrow to get him acquainted with the principal and instructors there. I'll be going over there before heading to work to make sure things go smoothly. I also said that I'll be bringing you with me to introduce him to you. You don't mind, do you Makoto?"

"No, Sis. It's fine. I don't have any plans tomorrow, and my homework for the weekend is almost done, so I have plenty of time to help you out," Makoto answered with a smile, prompting Sae to nod at her in approval with a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Thank you," She responded as she decided to finish up the rest of her coffee and open up her computer to get to work.

"Um… Sis?" The brunette student spoke up, getting her sister's attention. "If…you don't mind me asking… What kind of person is Amamiya-kun?"

"…Why do you want to know?" The prosecutor asked, face stoic as she waited for her younger sister to answer.

"Well, you told me that you were going to look after the guy as a favor for Dad's mentor. A-And I remember you telling me that he got a record for an assault charge. I was…just curious what kind of person Amamiya-san is. I'm wondering if I should be careful when he's with us, due to his criminal record and all." She explained, looking a little nervous at the prospect of meeting, associating, and occasionally housing, a convicted criminal for the majority of her school year.

"Honestly, Makoto, if there's anyone that needs to be careful, its him instead of you. He's not really all that threatening, not to mention the akido lessons you took to protect yourself," Sae responded while shaking her head in mild amusement, catching Makoto off guard. "I spoke to him about his arrest and what it had entailed. While he is upset about having to be away from home, I can tell he didn't regret his actions just by looking in his eyes. At least not fully. What he did was foolish and cost him his future, but I'll concede that he has a good heart, otherwise he wouldn't have tried to helped that woman, even if it did end up turning for the worst. He just needs to better control his actions and think things through so that he doesn't have to go through all this again, or worse."

"Oh… So… He's a good person?" Makoto pressed, still curious about the boy her sister was looking after.

"From what I seen so far, yes. Polite as well, though a little apathetic towards his arrest, for some reason. Most likely resigned to his probation and willing to wait it out until his record's clear," Sae confirmed, watching her sister relax slightly at her words before continuing. "Although I doubt he's all that happy with his current place of living. I know I would be if I was in his position."

"…What do you mean?" Makoto asked slowly.

"Well, if I were forced to stay in the attic of an old coffee shop that looked more akin to an abandoned storage shed than anything, I'd do practically anything to get out of there myself."

"He's staying where now?!"

* * *

-Leblanc Attic-

"Alright, got as much done as I could for tonight. Hopefully I'll have enough time to get the rest of this done soon." Ren sighed as he wiped the sweat off his brow and surveyed his hard work.

Having changed out of his uniform for a plain white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, the young 'criminal' spent the entire afternoon getting the attic as clean as he could get it to be. Dusting the windows, disinfecting the table and couch, moving his box of clothes to the shelf where the old coffee bags were, what he dubbed the 'coffee corner', sprucing up the bed so it would be more comfortable, and even sweeping and mopping the floor after he found the broom and mop underneath the empty gasoline canisters, with the mop bucket found near the work-desk full of old books. Sure, the work desk and second shelf were still covered in books and the corner with the pant and stuff still needed to be fixed up, but all in all, it looked much better than it did originally, and couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction for a job well done.

"What the heck?" Sojiro's voice called out as the man climbed up the stairs and stared at the teenager in surprise, "I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I wasn't expecting you to actually be cleaning."

"I had a lot of free time. And a lot of lemon-scented wipes, courtesy of my aunt." Ren responded while shaking the yellow bottle that was on the table nearby before gesturing to a blue bicycle that was located in what he called the 'gas and plant' corner. "I even found a bike. Good condition, too. Plan on taking it out sometime whenever I get the chance if you don't mind."

"Huh… So that's where I left it. I was wondering where it disappeared to. Eh, should be fine as long as you let me know ahead of time. At least it'll be put to some use now," The business owner mused as he looked around the room with a nod of approval. "Gotta admit, though, this place doesn't look to bad. Though it's only natural that you'd keep your room clean."

 _Tell that to Aniki…_ Ren thought as he rubbed the back of his head, wincing a little as he recalled the last time he visited him. _I mean, I like him and all, and he's family, but he should really be careful where he leaves those massive needles he uses for his work. Damn near skewer my feet every time he drags me to his place._

"Well, it's getting late. Why don't you head off to bed? You don't have anything better to do tonight, right?" Sojiro questioned.

"Nope. Honestly, sleep does sound good at the moment. Cleaning an attic takes a lot out of a person, you know?" Ren quipped as he headed towards his box to grab his sleepwear.

"Heh, sarcastic little punk, aren't ya." The man scoffed while shaking his head. "I'm going to close up shop for the night and head home. Don't stay up too late either. I'm not going to stick around and nurse you back to health if you get sick or something like that."

"Understood. Take it easy, Sakura-san," Ren nodded as he watched the man walk back downstairs and on his way home. With his guardian gone for the night, the young man turned his attention back to his box to grab his sleeping shirt and sweats. He wasn't kidding when he said that sleep was a good idea. He did a lot of cleaning today and, on top with all the nerves that were piling up throughout the day, he was both physically and mentally exhausted. Just has he was about to change, though, he heard his phone go off on the table. Grabbing it, he saw that it was a text message from Sae and proceeded to read it.

[Sae: Amamiya-kun, I hope you're doing well. I assume that you managed to get that hovel of an attic to be at least somewhat comfortable. Makoto and I will see both you and Boss bright and early tomorrow over at Shujin. I expect to see you there in uniform. Have a good night, and don't stay up too late.]

Ren couldn't help but smile at the message. Although it was curt, he could tell that Sae cared about him a little, or at least was very serious about her role as his probation officer, and it brought a bit of comfort to him knowing that his grandfather made a strong enough effort to get someone like her to watch over him. Even Sakura-san seemed to be ok, if a little on the difficult side, but he was positive that he will get along with his two guardians eventually. Nodding to himself, the young man scrolled down his phone, flipping through his messages and sending quick texts to his family to let them know that he was ok, before grabbing his sleepwear and proceeded to change.

Now comfortable, Ren lied down on his new bed with his arms behind his head, his glasses on the table where is phone was, reflecting on everything that had happened to him so far.

 _Arrest… Trial… Criminal record…_ He thought as the memory of police sirens and drunken yells filled his mind. _As crappy as things are now, I couldn't just let that go… It would've gone against everything Dad and Gramps taught me when I was young… Still, the guy I was dealing with was on a whole other level. What kind of man could he be if he's able to call the police his bitches of all things? If Gramps heard him say that, he'd probably punched him in the gut…_

 _*pipipipi*_

"Huh? Another message?" Ren muttered as he grabbed his phone from his pocket, only to widen his eyes a little in shock by what he was seeing.

 _What the hell? I thought I deleted this thing…_ He thought as he stared at the glowing red app on his phone, the one that he was sure caused that weird event that happened in Station Square earlier this morning. He hadn't told anyone about it, unsure if anyone would believe him or if it was just his mind playing tricks on him at the time but seeing that app again on his phone made him think that the two were connected in some way.

"This is creepy…" The teen mumbled as he deleted the app again, his eyelids getting heavy as sleep began to overtake him. As soon as he set his phone down, he closed his eyes, allowing the comfort of sleep to finally overtake him.

He had a long day tomorrow, and he needed plenty of rest.

* * *

?/?/?/?

 _*Rattle rattle*_

"Huh? What's that noise?" Ren mumbled as his eyes slowly opened, the sounds of what he assumed to be rattling chains echoing nearby and was greeted by the sight of blue.

Lots of blue.

Blue walls, blue ceiling, blue brick floor, even the chains dangling above him had a blue tint to it. Disturbed by this, and the copious amount of blue giving him a headache, Ren sat himself up on the cot he was suddenly on and held his head to try and alleviate the incoming migraine he believed he was getting. After letting off a few deep breaths, he looked down at himself to see that he was still in his sleep clothes. For some reason, he had a feeling that he was supposed to be in trademark prison wear, with black and white striped shirt and pants, shackles on his arms and even an old school ball and chain attached to his leg. He had no idea what was going on, wondering if this was all a dream, when the sounds of giggling reached his ears.

He turned his head to the source of the noise, a large prison door with chains wrapped around it, and was surprised to see not one, but two similar looking, individuals appearing on either side of the sealed exit. The pair of young platinum blonde, near silver haired girls wore very similar clothing; blue prison guard outfits with matching black ties, hats and even odd eyepatches with the English letter V on it, but had enough differences to tell them apart; the one on his right had the letters X.M.R.N on her hat, had her hair in a bun, and had her eyepatch on her right eye, while the left one had the letters O.Y.O.O on her hat, her hair in a braid, and her eyepatch covering her left eye. Thoroughly confused, Ren got up from the cot and walked slowly to the door, a hand reaching out to it, but stepped back when the door suddenly opened inwards, slowly but still nearly hitting him. He paused, looking at the chained door in confusion, then at the two mysterious girls before him, who were standing side by side with one other. The two nodded, which Ren assumed it meant to come out, and slowly walked out of the cell he was sealed in. As soon as he left the room, the pair split apart to either side of him, and the young man was greeted by the sight of something he was not expecting to see.

Thoroughly confused, Ren got up from the cot and walked slowly to the door, a hand reaching out to it, but stepped back when the door suddenly opened inwards, slowly but still nearly hitting him. He paused, looking at the chained door in confusion, then at the mysterious girls before him. The…possible children nodded, which Ren assumed it meant to come out, and slowly walked out of the cell he was sealed in. As soon as he left the room, she stepped away to the right side of him, and the young man was greeted by the sight of something he was not expecting to see.

There, right in the middle of the room, sitting behind a large table in what looked like a comfortable chair, was the strangest looking man Ren had ever seen. He was old and balding, what little hair remaining on the back of his head, white like a typical old man. His eyes were large and bloodshot and had the largest grin on his face. He was dressed nicely too, wearing an elegant black suit with a pair of white gloves, giving him a bit of a refined look, if it wasn't for the most distinguished feature on the man's face; his nose.

If Ren had to compare that monstrous, beak-shaped nose to anything, it would have to be a tengu. Those mythical things always had the largest noses whenever he seen illustrations of them in manga, but he wasn't expecting to see something similar to that in his life. Let alone in a dream. He couldn't help but stare as the old man was about to speak. Considering the man's appearance, he was expecting him to sound dark and imposing, as if he were a warden that was going to sentence him to death.

Instead, he was greeted by the sound of what he would eventually see as one of the friendliest old men he had the pleasure to meet.

"Ah, hello, young Trickster. Welcome to the Velvet Room."

* * *

Author's Note

* * *

Welcome, my friends, to Persona 5: Trials of the Trickster. New and improved, this story is a project that has been working on and off for over a year now and it's high time that I fix it up. The initial version of it, while decent to most, left a lot to be desired in my opinion, so I decided to try and fix it up as best as I could. While the majority of the story will be the same, there will be some differences between this and the original that I think work out for the best. This first chapter here has gone through a few changes here and there since the original, one of the major ones being the combination of the prologue and the first chapter. Though lengthy, I thought it would be best to have the two together to help set the tone of the story and have it begin similarly to the original, with some differences here and there to make it unique still. Don't get used to chapters of this length, however. I am at the moment trying to reduce my word count while still making sure the imagery still comes out well enough...

In any case, I sincerely hope you lot enjoyed the remastered chapter 1 of the Trials. It took me a bit to get it down, but I am satisfied with what is here for the most part. More to come soon, everyone, so get ready for them. As always, thank you all so much for reading my work. I hope you all have a wonderful time and I will see you all in the next one.

Until we meet again, Tricksters. Farewell.


	2. Velvet Dreams and Scholarly Schemes

Chapter 2: Velvet Dreams and Scholarly Schemes

?/?/?/?

-?-

… _Ok, what the hell? What the fucking hell is happening here?!_ Ren thought in a panic as he stared at the long-nosed man before him. One moment he was in his new room fast asleep and the next he was being greeted by a freaky old creeper while being flanked by a pair of one-eyed, children sized prison guards. He had some pretty wild dreams in the past but this dream took the cake.

The soft, opera like music that was now playing in the speakers above was not helping that much, either.

"Hahaha, I see that you are confused, young man," The strange figure chuckled kindly, snapping the poor teen out of his thoughts, "Do not be alarmed, you are still asleep in the real world. I have simply summoned you, within your dreams. My name is Igor. I am happy to make your acquaintance."

"Igor…?" Ren repeated, the name sounding very odd to him. He relaxed his posture a bit when it was evident that the odd man meant no harm, only to jump when the sight of a stun baton struck the ground before him.

"Hey! You're in the presence of our Master! Stand up straight!" The bun haired girl yelled as she held the baton over her shoulder with a menacing one-eyed glare.

"It is best that you heed our Master's word. Any distraction will be heavily looked down upon by us," The braided girl stated, staring at Ren with a blank, yet intense stare with a clipboard firmly in her arm.

"Now, now, girls. This young man is our guest. There is no need to be so harsh to him," Igor chastise lightly, his grin never leaving his face as the two girls looked equally mollified at the man, much to the confused teens surprise.

"We're sorry, Master," The pair said simultaneously.

"Do not worry. You two are still new to all of this, after all," Igor assured before focusing his attention back to his guest. "Pardon the girls. They are my assistants and they are still inexperienced, but I'm positive that they will learn their new roles fairly quickly. To your left is Caroline, and to your right is Justine. I hope the three of you get along."

"…Sure?" Ren shrugged, still unable to comprehend what was going on, before taking a look at his surroundings, a little dismayed that he was standing in what looked like a prison of all things. It was as if a god was playing a sick joke in his head or something. "So, Igor-san… If you don't mind me asking, what is this place?"

"Not at all, Trickster," Igor said, using the same name he called Ren earlier, "As I said, this is the Velvet Room. A place between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. Although there have been some exceptions in the past, such as yourself."

"There have?" Caroline questioned, both her and Justine looking at their master curiously

"Indeed. I'll tell you two about them some other time. I'm sure you'll find it quite interesting. They may even stir up some memories that you two may have forgotten," Igor answered with a kind smile that bolstered the mood of the two young girls, causing Ren to quirk an eyebrow at their actions.

 _I guess Igor-san wasn't kidding when he said they were new if they react like that to something they don't know._ He thought before turning his attention back to the man behind the desk. "Um… If you don't mind me asking, how did _I_ get here. I don't remember signing any contract before any of this."

"This is true. However, as I said, there are exceptions to this rule at times. You in particular have been…recommended to come here at the request of an old acquaintance of mine. One that you have meet a few times already, though I doubt you were aware of it…" Igor explained, his grin somehow widening in amusement at the sight of the teen's ever growing confusion before it gained a more melancholic tinge as he looked around the prison-like area around him. "Still though…this is a surprise. This room has taken the form of many locations before, but never a prison. Let alone one such as this. You are a very interesting guest, young man."

"…What do you mean?" Ren questioned, feeling a bit of dread and concern crawling up his spine.

"According to our Master, the Velvet Room's appearance reflects the state of one's heart. Because you are our guest, this room has taken the form of a prison. Which would make you, if I am safe to assume, a prisoner of fate." Justine explained blankly, causing the teen to practically balk in response.

"Haha, Wow. A prisoner of fate? You must be some kind of messed up to come up with a room like this. I think I'll be calling you Inmate then. Seems fitting!" Caroline said with a wicked grin, further shocking the guest as he turned back to Igor, an uncomfortable expression on his face.

"I… I don't understand. This place…is supposed to represent my heart? Am I really that messed up?" He questioned, unsure of how to feel about everything he was told so far.

"Who is to say. It is possible that some outside forces or events have changed the way you see yourself, or this is truly how your heart is represented as. The only one who can answer that, after all, is you…" Igor said in a cryptic tone, not alleviating Ren's worries in the least. "In any case, I have called you here to tell you about some very important matters. Matters that will prove to be quite pivotal in the near future."

"…What do you mean?" The teen questioned slowly, a little afraid and concerned about what he might hear.

"The world is not as it should be," Igor answered seriously as he reached into his coat and pulled out a single crimson card with an image of a tumbling tower and the number sixteen in roman numerals. "There is distortion blanketing it, and ruin is drawing near. You may not have realized it yet, but you will soon. And when that time comes, you will be forced to make an important decision. One that may decide the fate of not only yourself, but others close to you as well. Whether they be from the past, present, or even future…"

"Ruin…?" Ren repeated, flabbergasted by the severity of the statement the odd man said, yet for some reason, he could tell that he wasn't lying. Whatever was going to happen to him, he had a feeling, a strong one at that, that it was going to be big.

"Indeed. You don't need to make your decision now, but in the near future you will be forced to make a choice. No matter what path you chose, though, we will be with you every step of the way. It is our role in this game we are playing." Igor said, the somber aura from before now gone, replaced by the more relaxing feeling that seemed to emanate from him, yet despite that that, Ren had trouble calming down thanks to everything he was informed.

 _Ruin? Distortion? A fucking game!? What the hell is going on!?_ He shouted in his mind, looking down in shock in a pathetic attempt to process what he was told. He turned back to Igor, desperate to learn more, when he suddenly felt his body become heavy, as if he was going to pass out at any moment.

"Ah, its seems that our time is up," Justine spoke up as she stared at the lethargic teen stoically.

"Looks like it's back to bed for you, Inmate. Get plenty of rest. You're definitely gonna need it," Caroline ordered as the sounds of sirens began filling the room, as if there was a prison break occurring.

"Indeed. Time marches on in your world," Igor nodded as Ren's vision started to get blurry and his eyelids slowly starting to close. "We will meet again in soon enough. Until then, farewell."

* * *

4/10/Early Morning/Overcast

 _That dream… What in the world was that all about?_ Ren thought as he sat on his bed, fully dressed in his school uniform as he tried to recall the strange dream that plagued his mind the night before. _Distortion? Ruin? What does that all mean? And why does that blue room look like a prison? Is it because of my arrest? Dammit, I don't even know anymore…_

"Hey. Looks like you're up," The teen heard his guardian's voice, and turned his head to see the man coming up the stairs, his pink shirt behind a white jacket and sporting a white fedora with a red, white and blue ribbon on the brim, "Well then, let's get ourselves properly introduced to the staff about your transfer. I'm sure that Niijima-san and her sister are already there, so let's not waste time."

"Gotcha," Ren nodded as he followed Sojiro down the stairs.

"The school you're attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll cost you to ride the train there, and the route transfers are a pain. I'll drive you there, but just for today, got it?" Sojiro said as the two neared the front door to the restaurant.

"Got it," The teen nodded before looking back at the stairs leading to his new room "Sakura-san, if the route transfers are as annoying as you say they are, would it be faster for me to take the bike I found to Shujin than take the train?"

"Not really. The school's pretty far from here. Even with the bike, you mostly like just barely make it to class, and that's not even counting any traffic you might have to deal with or finding a spot to chain the bike to. Now hurry up. We can't afford to be late" His guardian said as he opened the door while shaking his head in annoyance, "Sheesh… Men aren't usually allowed on my passenger seat."

Quirking an eyebrow at the statement, Ren followed the man outside and into his vehicle; a bright yellow buggy, his dream from the previous night forgotten for the time being.

* * *

Daytime

-Shujin Entrance-

Makoto Niijima sighed quietly as she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, standing at the entrance of her school with Sae right beside her as the pair waited for Sojiro and Ren to appear. The two had showed up only five minutes ago, hoping to get the introduction over with, as Sae had a call from her director asking her to come in as soon as she finished with whatever she had to do at the school. Pulling out her phone to check the time, the young brunette shook her head as she saw that it was almost time for the meeting and the pair still had not shown, before turning her head to give her school a once over.

If she had one word to aptly describe the structure of the building, it would most likely be a prison. Ironic, considering the homophonic name of the building. The large fence around the school, the single entrance for students, the small clock on the face of the school, and the overall look of it just screamed prison to her, especially since she was quite familiar with them herself thanks to her family's history in law enforcement. Despite its appearance, though, it was still one of the best prep schools in all of Japan, and she was quite proud to be such a high-ranking student there. The fact that her sister is also an alumna from there also helped inspire her to do her best. Of course, achieving her success was no easy feat, and she was still facing many challenges, both as a simply third year and as the student council president. In spite of this, the young student had made it her mission to make sure that her grades were always on top to ensure a secured future and get into an excellent college. Not only for herself, but for her sister as well.

 _I have to do well here._ She thought as she stared at the school intensely. _It's my final year and I have to ensure that I end it on as high of a note as physically possible. That way, I can get into a good college, and make sure I wouldn't be a burden to Sis anymore…_

"Looks like they're here. And just in time too." Sae spoke up, snapping Makoto out of her thoughts, and turned to see a tall, fluffy haired boy around her age walking beside a grumpy old man.

"Look, do me a favor and behave yourself, ok?" She heard the man grumble as they approached closer to the school gate, "Don't get me wrong—I don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause any trouble or I'll send your ass straight to Niijima and have her deal with you on her own. You got that."

"Understood, Sakura-san." The bespectacled teen nodded impassively, and Makoto couldn't help but feel bad for him. Criminal record or not, there was no reason to be so rough to him, especially if the man was making him stay in a dust old attic of all places. She may not know him, but if her sister said that he was a decent person, then he didn't really deserve to be treated like a burden. With that in mind, she decided to greet the newcomer with an open mind, hoping to find some common ground to work with.

"Glad to see you two made it," Sae said once the two males made it to the gate before grabbing Makoto's shoulder and brought her a bit close. "Sakura-san, Amamiya-kun, this is my sister Makoto; third year student here at Shujin and the Student Council President. Makoto, this is Ren Amamiya, who we'll be checking in on during his probation, and Sojiro Sakura, his guardian."

"Hey. Nice ta meetcha, little lady." Sojiro droned with an easy smirk and a nod.

"Pleasure to meet you, Niijima-Senpai," Ren greeted with a short bow.

"It's nice to meet you two as well. Sis has told me about you both. I hope we can get along," Makoto said with a bow as well, before looking at Ren with a polite smile, causing him to look at her in slight surprise before looking away bashfully. It actually disheartened her a little to see such a reaction, since it indicated that he wasn't used to kind actions and words…

"Well, now that introductions have been made, let's get going. I have to get to work as soon as I can, and I most likely won't be home until tomorrow, so I'm going to need you to take Makoto home for me," Sae said as she turned towards the school, snapping the brunette out of her thoughts as the eldest of the group stared at the departing prosecutor in annoyance.

"Of course… I had a feeling something like this was going to happen," The man groaned as he shook his head.

"I-It's ok, sir! You don't need to take me home. I can just take the subway instead. I don't wish to be a burden to you…" Makoto suggested nervously, not wanting to make the old man more upset than he currently was.

"Eh, don't worry about it. What kind of man would I be if I send a young lady like yourself home on her own?" Sojiro said with a small smirk while pointing at a blank-faced Ren behind him with his thumb, "If you really don't want me to take you home, I'll at least have this guy walk you back to the station. Or all the way back to your place if you want. Kid's been wanting an excuse to use the bike he found in the attic all morning."

"I only asked about it once…" Ren muttered while looking away and scratching the back of his neck, prompting a soft giggle to come out of Makoto's lips.

"I see. Well, if you're sure that it won't be any trouble, the I don't mind. It could give us a chance to get to know each other, since we're going to be spending a lot of time together," She said with a polite smile once more, unaware of the faint flush that was appearing on Ren's cheeks, before turning to the school and began heading inside. "Let's go inside. We can't keep my sister waiting for too long."

"Lead the way," Sojiro said with an easy smile as he and Ren followed the auburn eyed girl, the young woman smiling as she led them to their destination.

 _I guess Sis was right. He doesn't seem to be all that bad. Pretty quiet, but polite as well. He seems a little downtrodden as well, which makes sense considering his predicament, but it doesn't look like he wants to cause trouble…_ Makoto mused as the trio climbed the stairs and entered the school building, a small frown on her face as they made their way to the office. _In fact, it doesn't look like he's all that threatening. At least not someone who's willing to assault someone. Sure, looks can be deceiving, but it just doesn't seem like he would hurt someone with no good reason. I wonder if there's more to his case that what Sis told me… I suppose I can ask about the details later on. For now, it's time to focus on getting him acquainted with the principal and his homeroom teacher. I'm sure they will treat him fairly despite his record once they see how well-mannered Amamiya-kun is._

* * *

-Principal's Office-

… _Yeah, this figures. Should've guessed it'd end like this._ The raven-haired teen mentally groaned in depression as a…wide bodied man wearing a gold colored suit-jacket over a white dress shirt and red tie stared at him in contempt while Sae and Sojiro were filling out paperwork on the large desk in the middle of the room, Makoto standing uncomfortably on the man's right side while a tired looking woman in a striped yellow shirt, long denim skirt and messy deep brown hair stood at his left, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere than in the principal's office at the moment.

 _Not that I blame her. I'd be irritated too if I was forced to come in on my day off. Although, now that I look at her, she seems really tired. Is she overworking herself or something? She's practically dead on her feet, right now._

"To reiterate, just so we're clear, you'll be expelled immediately if you cause any problems," The principal spoke up, snapping Ren out of his thoughts, noticing that Sae and Sojiro were done with their paperwork. "Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but there were some circumstances on our side… You may have done a variety of things in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here. If you are thrown out of our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind."

"I understand, sir," Ren nodded solemnly, his stoic face masking his growing annoyance at the treatment he was getting.

"Good," The large man nodded before turning to the tired woman beside him. "This is the teacher in charge of your class."

"I'm Sadayo Kawakami. Here's your student ID." The instructor introduced herself as she gave her new student a card with his image on it along with a pamphlet containing the school's code of conduct. "Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all. That is your promise, yes, Principle Kobayakawa?"

"Mmhm. He is responsible for all his actions."

"But really though, why me…? There should've been better candidates," Kawakami complained, looking even more tired than before.

"It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening." The principal explained apologetically, making Ren wondered if any of the other teachers were going to be treating him similarly to how the principal and his new homeroom teacher were.

 _At least Ms. Kawakami is trying to make an effort, weak as it is. But Principal No-Neck's really laying my punishment thick right now. Makes me wonder what convinced him to take me in, considering he's acting like he wants to get rid of me as soon as possible._ Ren thought irritably, his patience wearing thin since coming to the prison like school, something that he took notice almost instantly and nearly laughed out loud at the irony of it all, before taking a glance at Makoto, who was staring back at him looking very apologetic, but remained silent throughout the discussion. _At least Niijima-Senpai isn't saying anything bad about me. Not coming up to my defense, but then again, we don't really know each other that well at the moment. I just hope that the other students are as open minded as she is. Though…knowing my luck, everyone's going to be a dick to me as soon as word gets out of my record. I can imagine the rumors already…_

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to, and Niijima-san here has to be at work ASAP." Sojiro spoke up, snapping Ren out of his thoughts as he realized that Sae did say she had to leave immediately.

"One second, Sakura-san. I would like to make a request regarding Kurusu-kun's stay here, if you don't mind," Sae said, catching everyone's attention, especially Makoto and Kobayakawa.

"Are you serious? Weren't you the one who said that you were in a hurry to—"

"Oh, I don't mind at all! What kind of request do you wish to make, Niijima-san? It's rare for a distinguished alumna such as yourself to visit, after all. I'm sure any idea you have regarding the transfer student will be most welcome!" The principal exclaimed, interrupting the now annoyed restaurant owner and causing Akira to quirk an eyebrow at the wide man's response.

 _Ooookay, that's weird. I figured that Sae-san was a former student here, and a very successful one if her current job's anything to go by, but that response seemed a little too enthusiastic there. Like he's trying really hard to get on her good side…_ Ren thought as he turned his attention to both Makoto and Kawakami, the two of them looking at the principal oddly as well. _Looks like I'm not the only one who noticed it too. I'm sure Senpai's creeped out a little after seeing our principal all but gush at Sae-san's request. Makes me wonder what she's planning on doi—_

"I would like to request that Kurusu-kun to be placed on the Student Council if you don't mind. Preferably in a position where Makoto can keep tabs on him if needed, such as an advisor." Sae announced, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"…You want me where now?" Ren muttered in fear as he stared at his probation officer with wide eyes.

"Sis…?" Makoto whispered in surprise, completely unaware of what her sister had planned.

"Uh… A-Are you sure that's a wise decision, Niijima-san?" Kobayakawa questioned nervously, "I-I mean, he's a delinquent, after all. Do you really believe that it would be a good idea to allow such a student as a member of the council?"

"It doesn't have to be an official position. He can simply be Makoto's aid, if needed, but I do believe that putting him on the Student Council will allow you to keep a better eye on him and help keep him in line," Sae explained while giving the still shocked Ren a side glance, "Besides, it's not like he has no experience in such matters. From what I've seen in his files, he was a member of his previous school's Student Council as Treasurer, and was even going to be the Vice-President were it not for his arrest. I'm sure Shujin's Student Council would appreciate having someone experienced join their ranks, even if is in the form of a delinquent."

 _Dammit, I knew Coach's joke was going to bite me in the ass one day!_ Ren screamed in his head as he stared at the surprised expressions of the others with a mask of indifference. _Why the hell did I let him convince me to join the damn council in the first place! All I did was count money! And the only reason why I was even voted Vice-President was because no one else wanted the position and that dick of a president thought it was funny to nominate me! Freaking hell, my life's cursed…_

"Um… Well then, if you're that adamant about it, and if he does have experience, then I suppose it should be fine," The principal conceded as he took out a few papers out of his desk, "We just need to fill out some paperwork to make it official, if that's all possible. Normally this wouldn't be necessary but considering the…predicament Amamiya-kun is in, precaution is sadly needed."

"Have Sakura-san fill it out, and if there's anything that requires my ok, then allow Makoto to fill it in my stead. It should be alright, given her status," Sae stated before leaving the room, ignoring the various stares aimed her way as she departed.

"…She always gets what she wants, doesn't she?" Kawakami pointed out unnecessarily.

"Yeah…" Makoto sighed tiredly.

"Well, in any case… Sakura-san, Amamiya-kun, Makoto-san, if you please," Kobayakawa spoke up as he held a pen towards the pair of men while the lone female student withheld a tired sigh not unlike was Kawakami just let out.

"Tch… That woman seriously gets on my nerves," Sojiro grumbled as he swiped the pen, Akira behind him looking a little uncomfortable.

As they filled out the paperwork, Sae was nearing the exit of the school, walking briskly in order to save time, when she heard someone call for her attention.

"Well, well. If it isn't Sae Niijima? Haven't heard from you in a while!" A cheerful voice called out, and Sae turned her head briefly to see a tall, buff looking man with unkempt black hair, a plain white sport shirt and black trousers walking towards her with a smile on his face.

"What is it, Kamoshida? I'm very busy right now and I'm running late. Don't you have a volleyball team to train?" Sae questioned curtly, causing the man to stop short and stare at her with a sheepish grin.

"Aww, c'mon, Sae, just call me Suguru. We're nearly the same age, after all. Besides, all I want to do is catch up. Haven't seen you since the school festival last year." The energetic man said cheerfully.

"The only reason why I was there in the first place was to see what kind of stand Makoto and her class was doing and I happened to have some free time. I didn't even stay that long," Sae stated as she checked her watch, "Look, I'm extraordinarily busy at the moment. In fact, I'm only here to finalize the transfer of someone I'm watching over. If you wish to talk, we'll have to do it at another date."

"Wait, transfer? But the only transfer student we're getting is…" Kamoshida paused, his expression growing troubled as he walked closer to Sae, much to her annoyance. "Sae, please don't tell me you're looking after the punk transfer. I know you're with the SIU but looking over a dangerous criminal on your own is not a good idea. Especially since you have your sister to take care of as well. You don't want to burden yourself any more than you have to. Why don't you find someone who's more experienced in dealing with little crooks to look after him, huh?"

"Shut it, Kamoshida, I don't want to hear it," Sae grumbled as she pushed the tall man away, much to his surprise. "Look, the 'punk transfer' you're talking about is under my care, and as his probation officer it is my responsibility to make sure his rehabilitation goes smoothly. It's true that watching both him and Makoto will be difficult for me, especially with how busy I've been, but they are both my burdens to bear and I will not let anyone tell me how to do my job. Now, if you excuse me, I need to get going."

With that, Sae walked out the school as fast as she could, leaving Kamoshida stunned by her words. She was not in the mood to deal with the man at the moment and needed to hurry on to her job. She didn't even bother to glance at the man she spurred as she climbed down the stairs of the school, missing the harsh glare that was aimed her way as the man proceeded to make his way towards the school gym.

He was just another man vying for her attention, just as others before him. She had no intention of giving him the time of day in the past, and she had no intention of giving it now.

* * *

Afternoon

-Shujin Academy bottom floor-

"Damn that annoying woman. No offense to you, young lady, but your sister is seriously a handful," Sojiro grumbled as he, Ren and Makoto were walking down the hall and towards the school exit.

"I…I'm sorry about my sister, sir." Makoto apologized nervously, "She's been very busy lately with her job, so the stress is kind of getting to her. I hope you don't take it personally. She's not usually like this."

"I know. I've seen her in better moods whenever she visited my shop for a cup. Just try to not let her or anyone else get to you or push you around, got it?" He said as he looked at the girl, "I can tell you weren't all that comfortable watching us adults rip on the kid here. If you have something to say that's important to you, don't be afraid to say it. It's good to listen to others, but no one likes a pushover. Just don't take it too far, or you'll end up like the kid over here."

 _You just had to use me as an example, didn't you?_ Said kid gripped mentally, looking at Makoto with the side of his eye and froze slightly when he saw her looking even more upset than before for some reason.

The man then sighed before turning to Ren with a hint of sympathy, getting his attention, "Looks like you're not going to have much luck here either. Those instructors are treating you like a nuisance. I guess that's what happens when you get yourself a criminal record."

"Looks like it," Ren said tiredly, mentally worn out by the judging stares and the paperwork he and Sojiro had just filled out.

"Turns out your past follows you wherever you go," Sojiro continued, as if he was speaking from personal experience, before hardening his expression and focusing on Ren once more. "By the way… If you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?"

"Sir!" Makoto exclaimed as soon as she snapped out of her funk, a little upset by all the heckling that her new aid was getting.

"I'll be careful," The tired teen nodded solemnly, wanting nothing more than to go back home and rest. The day ended up being more exhausting than he had imagined.

"Amamiya-kun…?"

"It's ok, Senpai… He's just telling me to watch out for myself in his own way. I don't mind…" Eri sighed while pulling a lock of hair out of habit, not wanting to argue with the man giving him room and board, though silently grateful for her quick acceptance towards him. He knew that Sae told her a bit of the circumstances about his arrest, but it looked like the brunette was willing to give him a chance despite it, unlike some of the other people he had to deal with before and after his forced move to the city. At the very least, he could say he might be able to make friends with Makoto, if she's willing.

"But still…" Makoto began before trailing off almost immediately and held her arm nervously, unsure of what to say towards the poor young man beside him. He really did have it hard, and she couldn't help but worry about him. Not only because it was her responsibility as Student Council President, but she also genuinely felt bad that her sister's ward was getting such poor treatment. It made her feel a little worthless seeing that there wasn't anything she could do about it, and she couldn't imagine how her fellow students would act if they end up finding about his record.

"Hmph…" Sojiro huffed, staring at the pair curiously before turning back to the to the door with a sigh, "School never changes, huh…? Come on, you two, we're going home. I'll treat Niijima-chan here to some dinner before sending her off."

Gesturing the pair to follow him, the café owner walked out the door and towards his car, Ren and Makoto staring at each other for a moment before smiling slightly to one another and left the school. Those smiles, however, quickly turned to frowns once the trio began their trek towards Leblanc. Apparently, traffic started to pick up greatly since their arrival, and now the three were stuck behind a multitude of vehicles as they waited to get home, which irritated them, especially Sojiro, a fair amount.

"Ugh! Traffic's not moving at all… You're taking the train, starting tomorrow," Sojiro grumbled as he glared at the still cars before him, his passenger seat now housing Makoto while Ren occupied the backseat. At first, Makoto had insisted on taking the backseat, saying that since Ren was staying with Sojiro, he should be the one to take it. But after some insistence from both males the girl relented and took her spot in the front shortly after the frizzy haired teen got himself situated in the back.

The drive to Leblanc itself was filled with awkward an intense silence in the beginning, Makoto not sure what to say, Sojiro focusing on his driving, and Ren simply choosing to be his quiet self. But now that things had slowed down a bit, the old man figured he might as well throw a bone at the kid. Even if he did find the whole situation incredibly irritating, it couldn't hurt to be at least somewhat civil every now and again.

"So… How was it?" Sojiro asked gruffly, getting both Ren's and Makoto's attention. "The school, I mean. Think you can handle it."

"Eh, we'll see," Ren responded dismissively. If he was going to be honest with himself, he had a strong feeling that school was going to be hell, but he didn't want to let the others know about that. Makoto looked to be fretting enough as it is, and while Sojiro probably wouldn't care, he thought it'd be best to not give the man any more reason to kick him out.

"Well… I think you'll do fine in Shujin, Amamiya-kun," Makoto spoke up, catching his attention. "I mean, yes you have a serious record on you, but I believe that you can make the best of it. Sis told me you're a decent person, so I'm willing to give you a chance, and I'm sure the other students will, too. Plus, you're going to be with me in the Student Council. If anything happens, just let me know and I'll help you out as much as I can."

"…I appreciate that," Ren said after a moment with a soft smile. He was truly happy that there was at least one person he'd met so far that treated him nicely. Sure, Sojiro and Sae were looking out for him in their own way, but actually seeing someone wanting to get along with him made him feel good inside.

It helped that the one wanting to know him was a cute older girl, as well.

"Well, at least you have someone who's willing to sympathize with you. Good luck finding anyone else, though," Sojiro stated in his usual tone of cynicism, looking away from the pair and missing both Makoto's irritated glare and Ren's exasperated expression. "If rumors start flying out about your arrest, people might say something about me in the future. What a troublesome kid I taken in…"

"…Why _did_ you take me in, Sakura-san," Ren asked, the question having been on the back of his mind since he first arrived in Tokyo. Sae he could understand; her and Makoto's father were good friends of his grandfather and there was a pseudo mentor-student relationship between the prosecutor and the retired officer, but Sojiro was some random guy his dad's friend suggested. It honestly didn't make a lot of sense why a gruff, no-nonsense man like him was willing to put up with someone who got himself a criminal record.

"I was asked to do it and I just…happened to agree," Sojiro answered gruffly, his tone sounding a bit defensive to the other occupants in the car, "I've already been paid for it, after all. Your father gave me quite a lot of money to take you in."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm still surprised how much money Dad makes with all the things he's creates. Makes me wonder if I should've taken those sewing lessons that Auntie gave me seriously…" Ren said, trailing off when he noticed the odd stares he was getting from both Sojiro and Makoto before realizing what he said. "…Shit. Forget I said anything."

"You sew…?" The man stifled a chuckle, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the road before him, his mood a little better after hearing something so amusing, and seeing the blush on the kid's face after he let that info out was pretty hilarious in his opinion.

Makoto, on the other hand, was actually impressed that someone like him knew how to do something as practical as sewing. It was a good skill to have, especially if one rips a shirt or something and didn't want to pay for a new one or go to a tailor if the item in question was valuable enough. She wanted to ask him more about it but seeing him looking really embarrassed and nervous caused her to turn against the idea and was about to change the subject when the radio, which all of them were ignoring for a while, suddenly stared saying something that caught her interest.

It was about a subway crash over at Shibuya Station that happened earlier today. One that was possibly liked to the psychotic breakdowns her sister was investigating, at least according to the prosecutor. It was the reason why Sae had to leave as early as she did, and why Makoto will most likely be home alone again tonight…

"Another accident? Guess that explains all the traffic. Been a lot of those happening lately…" Sojiro groused as he continued to stare at the mass of cars before him, missing Makoto looking down at the floor sadly and Akira glancing at her in quiet concern.

* * *

Evening

-SIU Director's office-

Sae watched silently as the news report went on about the recent accident while standing near her boss; the Director of the SIU. While relived that nobody was seriously hurt in the incident, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something else was at work. There had been more and more of these incidents as of late, and she knew they had to be all related in some way. These psychotic breakdown incidents started only two years ago, along with the mental shutdowns. If things keep going as they are now, then not just Tokyo, but probably all of Japan will suffer as a result. If only she could find one clue… One thing that could tie everything together…

"It's less of an accident and more of crime by the company and the government…" The Director, a balding old man with grey hair on the back of his head, a distinguished blue suit and rectangle-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose, stated seriously, Sae listening as she continued to watch the report, "Site inspectors apparently reported all of this six months ago; deterioration of the tracks and the ATC. Seems a railway company and the Minister of Transport both turned a blind eye to the truth. There's no way they can hide. This will go all the way to the top."

Sae said nothing as the report went on to talk about the psychotic breakdowns, still contemplating on what she should do. At the moment, she couldn't come up with anything, no matter how much she tried. Thankfully, she managed to call in someone for a bit of help. The person in particular wasn't exactly her first choice, but he was the only one she knew that was available at the time and was also working with her on the cases. Maybe exchanging ideas with the guy would help her find the connection between everything.

"Everything's linked. That's what you're thinking, correct?" The Director guessed correctly, looking at the semi-distracted prosecutor with a raised eyebrow before sighing in mild amusement. "Oh well. Are you free? You and I haven't gone out for a drink in a while."

"Thank you, sir, but I have another meeting to attend. I must be going," Sae declined with a small smile. She honestly wouldn't mind a drink at the moment, but she had other things she needed to take care of at first. She turned to her boss and gave him a respectable bow before she prepared to leave.

"I understand. Stay safe out there," The Director said with a small smile.

Sae nodded in response, happy that she didn't offend her boss with her refusal. While the man appeared cold and harsh most of the time, he was someone who had worked tirelessly to get to the position he was in, and she could honestly respect that. With that thought, she turned towards the door, grabbing her book bag as she was walking, and was about to exit when her boss called out to her again.

"Sae, before you go, I want to ask you something really quick," The old man said, making Sae pause with a hand over the doorknob. "I've heard from the chief of police that you were requested to be the probation officer of his predecessor's grandson. And that you accepted the task."

"I did. Why do you ask, sir?" Sae questioned, wondering why her boss brought up her newly appointed job.

"Oh nothing. Just curious as to how things were working out for you with your new responsibility. I believe the boy's name is Amamiya, correct?" The Director asked curiously, getting a nod in response before sighing wistfully, something that Sae wasn't expecting. "Amamiya, eh? It's been a long time since I've heard that name involved in anything related to law enforcement. Too bad it had to be heard on the opposite side…"

"Law enforcement? Are…you speaking of my charge's grandfather, sir?" Sae questioned, wondering if her father's mentor had a past relationship with the director and not mentioned it to her.

"No. I was actually referring to Kenichi's daughter, Akira. She made quite the name for herself in the military and was quite the marksman and skilled investigator during her time with them." The man explained, causing Sae to look at him in surprise. "I spent quite a bit of time with her while she was active and we were well acquainted for the most part. Last time I talked to her was nearly seventeen years ago, when she was being discharged for maternity leave. You…know what happened not long after that…"

"…Yes. I do." Sae muttered, looking down sadly as she tried to repress an old, bitter memory of a painful phone call and her father panicking around the house with her then five-month-old sister in his arms while her late mother was gripping her hand and practically in tears.

It was the first time she ever met Kenichi Amamiya in person, and to this day, she dearly wished her first meeting with the man that helped so much in her life was in better circumstances.

"…Sorry for bringing up any bad memories, Sae. You're free to go." The man apologized, watching as the silver haired woman nodded solemnly before she left, and proceeded to let off a tired sigh as he tried to suppress the old pain that was aching his heart.

"Hinata…to think that the son of one of the best military minds that had ever graced the GSDF ended up getting in such trouble. Makes me wonder how she would've felt about the boy's situation if she was still around. And mine."

As the man was lost in his memories, Sae was walking down the stairs with thoughts of her own. Memories of the call aside, her talk with the Director did bring up something that she was wondering about for a while. Ren's family did have a bit of history with law enforcement, much like her own. Normally that would've gotten the boy a little bit of leeway when it came with the terms of his arrest, especially in regards of why he got arrested in the first place. That just made her wonder how powerful the man who sued the boy was. To be able to successfully sue the grandchild of the former chief of police and son of a late military agent with such ease, and even making sure that their name wasn't mentioned at all…

Just who did the boy get involved with?

Sae paused her stride for a moment and shook her head slightly to get rid of those thoughts before continuing on. None of that mattered at the moment. She may be curious towards her ward's arrest, but she had other things to worry about, namely, her case and making sure the boy didn't cause any more trouble. She was thankful that she had help on both her responsibilities. She can trust Sojiro to at least keep the boy fed until it was her turn to take him in, and Makoto would be able to watch over him during school to make sure nothing happened. In regards to the case…

"Ah, Sae-san. There you are. Did you request for me?" A young man's voice up before her near the bottom of the stairs, and Sae looked down to see a fairly tall, teenager around her sister's age with shaggy brown hair and curious dark brown eyes, standing around in a beige suit over a white dress shirt with black trousers, a striped monochrome tie, black gloves and steel briefcase with the English letter 'A' embraided on it.

"I did, Akechi. Follow me, we got something to discuss," Sae nodded as she walked briskly down the stairs.

"Is it a case?" The young man asked as she walked by him.

"Just wanted your opinion on something," She responded, stopping for a bit to allow Akechi to catch up.

"Sure. Your judgement is quite often, correct though," Akechi said with an easy grin, Sae mentally rolling her eyes at the obvious attempt at buttering her up, as he walked up towards her with a bit of a pleading expression, "Can we discuss this over sushi, perhaps? You're making a student work late, after all."

"Conveyer belt only," Sae answered promptly before continuing down towards the exit, smirking slightly at the sound of Akechi whining a little behind her. She couldn't help but be amused whenever she shot down the young man's hopes every now and again. As the pair neared the door, she couldn't help but wonder how she could get such a reaction out of Ren. With how stoic the young man is, it might prove a little difficult, but she was sure the reaction will be hilarious nevertheless.

Distracted by her thoughts, she continued to walk by and ignore the people that were going in and out of the doorway, one of them being a young woman around her age with long, dark hair, a buttoned up grey suit over a white blouse and blue tie, and matching grey pants, who was looking at both Sae and Akechi curiously as the pair slowly disappeared from view.

"Hmm, so that was Prosecutor Sae Niijima. Quite the stern looking woman, if I do say so myself. Not that I'm one to judge," The woman muttered to herself in a deep, yet feminine voice, as she stared at the doorway with her piercing grey-blue eyes, which were behind a pair of blue-framed glasses. "And she was with Goro Akechi, the new Detective Prince… Kind of makes me wonder how he managed to make such a name for himself so quickly. It took me quite a few years and aid with my grandfather for me to get some recognition…"

Shaking her head, the young woman reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone, the sight of the silver haired prosecutor causing her to recall something that she needed to do before she ended her day.

"I wonder how Ren-kun is doing right now…?"

* * *

-Café Leblanc-

"Damn, to think that there'd be so much traffic… What a waste of time," Sojiro complained as he entered his store, Ren standing in front of him while Makoto was just coming through the door, looking at her phone with a worried expression. "Wasn't even able to open today. I'm going to get a few angry regulars asking about that tomorrow…"

"Sorry about that, Sakura-san," Ren apologized, knowing that it was technically his fault that the man wasn't able to run his business today.

"Wasn't just your fault. If it wasn't for Niijima-san suddenly suggesting you to join the council, I'd probably would've gotten at least some business done," The man grumbled before scratching the back of his head with a contemplative expression. "Although that probably wouldn't have mattered anyways. With how bad the roads were, I doubt I would've been able to open even with the extra time I would've saved if she didn't speak up."

"Hmm…" The bespectacled teen nodded, conceding to the fact that Sae did make them leave later than intended, although today's traffic did seem quite hectic to him. He turned his attention to Makoto, who had been entirely silent the entire end of the trip and grew a little concerned when he saw the down trotted look on her face. "Niijima-Senpai? Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Makoto gasped in shocked, so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't really realize where she was until Ren spoke to him, before calming down, her expression returning to its worried state. "Oh, sorry. I was just looking at the news report about the subway derailment. Sis was asked to look into it this morning and I wanted to know more about it after we heard about it from the radio. It says that over eighty people were involved. No one was severely hurt, but there are a lot of people in the hospital right now, not to mention the damage to the railways."

"Wow, over eighty people? Talk about a gruesome accident," Sojiro stated with a wince while Ren shivered at the thought of so many people being hurt at once.

"I know. And because of the incident, it looks like the train schedule for today and tomorrow is going to be completely off. If I want to get home soon, I have to leave now. I'm sorry, but it looks like I won't be sticking around for dinner, Sakura-san." Makoto said sadly, upset that she ended up tagging along the pair for no reason now and causing more trouble for them in the process.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I wouldn't have any time to whip something up right now anyways, since it's so late. The most I would've been able to give you are some leftover apples that I have in the fridge," Sojiro said dismissively before turning to his charge, "Kid, I take it you know how to get to the station?"

"Yup. Want me to take her there?" Ren assumed, smiling a little at the glint of approval in Sojiro's eyes while missing Makoto's nervous expression.

"That's right. Can't have a young lady like herself go to a subway station on her own. It's not that far, either, so don't stay out too late. You may not have that many restrictions in your probation outside of following the rules, but I'd rather not stay here all night and wait for you. I want to get home as soon as possible." Sojiro nodded when his phone went off, excusing himself for a moment to answer it while Makoto walked up to Ren, looking quite uncomfortable.

"Amamiya-kun, you don't have to walk me to the station. I'll be fine. I can protect myself too; I know self-defense." The young woman suggested, not wanting to cause any more trouble for the teen than he was already dealing with.

"It's fine. It really isn't not that far from here and I don't have anything else to do tonight," Ren assured with a small smile. "Besides, this'll be a good opportunity to get to know each other a little. We're going to be spending a lot of time together thanks to your sister and my gramps, so it wouldn't hurt for us to hang out every now and again."

"…Alright. If you're sure." The girl relented, though admittedly happy that he had the same idea she did in getting to know each other.

"Ok, looks like there's been a change of plans," Sojiro spoke up from behind the pair, making them jump a little while the speaking man walked up to them with a black notebook in hand. "I gotta get home right now, so I'm going to be locking up the shop as soon as you two head out. I'll be leaving the key under the mat outside so you can get it, kid, and I _expect_ to see it there when I come in this morning. If it isn't, I'm handing you right to the cops. No questions asked. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good. I also got you something. A 'gift' from Niijima-san," Sojiro said as he handed the teen the notebook. "It's a diary. You're going to need it to fill in your daily activities. I'm obligated to report on you, so I'm going to have to see it every now and again so I can let your probation officer know how you're doing under my care. Kinda pointless if you ask me, since I know she's gonna be taking you in every now and again, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Thanks, Sakura-san. I'll make good use of it." Ren nodded before turning to Makoto with a small smile, "Shall we get going? We're going to miss the train if we don't leave soon."

"Of course," Makoto nodded before turning to Sojiro with a bow. "It was nice meeting you, Sakura-san. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

"Call me Boss. And I'll be looking forward to your company," Sojiro said smoothly with a smirk, then to Ren with it still on his face. "Same to you, kid. I might be having you work around the shop a little during your stay here, so it'd be best for you to call me Boss to make things easier. Also, give me a call on the public phone when you get back so that I'll know you dropped off our guest."

"You don't want me to use my phone to call you?" Ren questioned with his head tilting slightly in confusion.

"Nah… I make it a habit to not save guys' numbers on my phone. Now get going," Sojiro continued smirking as he shooed the pair off, shaking his head slightly as he watched them leave. "Well, looks like I'm going to have to fill up two plates tomorrow morning…"

Unaware of the man's last words for the night, the two teenagers had started walking down the streets of Yongen-Jaya, passing through a few places such as a bathhouse and a laundromat on the way, an awkward air surrounding the pair. Ren, while grateful for the girl beside him for willing to help and befriend him, was stuck on how to show that gratitude without embarrassing himself, while Makoto was trying desperately to figure out something to talk about, hoping to make some headway in getting to know the fuzzy haired teen beside her. Eventually she ended up asking about the first thing that popped in her mind.

"So…when did you learn how to sew?"

And immediately regretted it when she saw the boy stiffen, a fierce blush blooming on his face as she recalled that he specifically requested to not bring the subject up back at the car ride.

"Oh! Uh, s-sorry! I didn't mean to offend! I think it's actually impressive that you know how to sew! Honest! M-Most guys I've met think it's not something men should know, saying it's too feminine, but I believe it's very useful to know such a practical skill in life! I wish I knew how to do it so I could save money on clothes in case one of my shirts gets torn," Makoto explained hurriedly in a desperate attempt to save the young man from further embarrassment, only succeeding in embarrassing herself if the stares from the random pedestrians were anything to go by and proceeded to cover her bright red face with her hands in a pathetic attempt to hide herself.

"…Guess Aniki wasn't spouting bull after all," She heard Ren's voice say faintly, and peaked her eyes through her fingers to see him looking away with a bashful look, scratching the back of his neck with a weak smile on his face. "Well, it's more of a family thing, really. Dad comes from a family of tailors, his older sister owning the family shop back at his home town while he branched out and opened a successful crafts store in Nikko, which doubles as our house. My aunt, and as of recently my cousin, would teach me a few things whenever we visit, and I did fairly well for the most part. I can't make extravagant clothing like her, or plushies like Aniki, but I'm good enough to mend a few shirts and pants if I have to. Saves money on buying clothes when we can just fix, or in Dad's case, make our own when needed, like you said."

"I believe so too. I'd be happy if you could teach me how to do it some time. I'd like to know to fix my and Sis's more expensive articles so we don't have to take them to a tailor for a pricy repair job." The girl requested, genuinely wishing to learn such a craft, something that surprised Ren quite a bit, but simply decided to just smile and roll with it.

"I can try. Not sure how good of a teacher I'll be, but I'll do my best. However, I do want you to help me with whatever duties I'm going to have to do when I'm in the Student Council with you. I really didn't do all that much back in my school's council, so I'd appreciate any help for it if you don't mind." Ren requested, happy to see an excited look in her eyes when he mentioned the Council.

"Of course, I'll help you! You're going to be my assistant during the year, and I'll be more than happy to show you the ropes," Makoto smiled before taking a good look at the boy next to her with a critical gaze. "Although… If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up being a member of your school's council? No offense, but even if you didn't have a criminal record, you don't really look like someone who would be comfortable being a part of such a group."

"I'm not. Being a part of my old school's Student Council wasn't my idea in the first place. It's a long story, though. I'll tell you about it when we have more time. Promise," Ren requested with a hopeful grin, and Makoto couldn't help but giggle at the expression, finding it refreshing after seeing him looking so stoic for most of the day.

"Alright, then. I'll hold you to that," She relented while shaking her head before looking away briefly to decide what else they could talk about to keep the conversation going. "So… Kind of a random question, but what's your opinion on action movies?"

"Oh, I love them! I'm a sucker for action movies since I was a kid, especially Yakuza and Kung-Fu ones," Ren stated excitedly, causing Makoto to look at him with in shock and awe. "Gramps took me to one after he came to visit and Dad was really upset that he took his five-year-old grandson to watch such a violent movie, but I've been hooked on them ever since. In fact, I even have a copy of 'Trial of the Dragon: Greatest Punches Edition' back home that I was hoping to bring but end up forgetting. I'm sure Dad will mail it to me when I have time, though, so I'm not worried."

"'Trial of the Dragon'!? I love that movie! I used to watch it all the time with my dad when I was a kid!" Makoto exclaimed, practically jumping on the balls of her feet. "Did you know that there's a Yakuza film coming out this summer that's directed by the very same guy who did that movie? It's called 'Like a Dragon' and all the trailers I've seen so far makes me believe it's going to be amazing!"

"Are you serious? That's awesome! I can't wait to see it!" Ren grinned widely, and from then until they reached their destination, the pair talked about nothing but different action movies and their opinion of them. Ren himself was pleasantly surprised that someone like Makoto was so interested in such films, while Makoto was simply happy to find someone who shared her love for action films and didn't look at her weird for it. Eventually, though, the two had managed to get to the station without any issues and were just in time to see the last train slowly pull up.

"Well, looks like it's time for me to go home." Makoto said as she stared at the train before looking at Ren with a smile. "I had a nice time talking to you, Amamiya-kun. It's been a while since I've been able to discuss my favorite films. It was pretty refreshing."

"Tell me about it. You're really fun to talk to, Niijima-Senpai. I'm actually looking forward to working with you in the council if it means we can keep talking like this," Ren said with a grin.

"Haha, well, most of our talks will be work-related, but I can't deny that I'm looking forward to our discussions as well," The brunette agreed as she pulled out her phone. "Let's exchange contact info really quick. I know we just met and all, but if we're going to be spending time together, it'd be best to get it done soon so we can get ahold of one another when needed."

"Good idea. Best I give you my number now instead of having you somehow dig it up on your own. Something tells me that would be something you'd do," Ren stated teasingly as he brought his own phone out, smirking when he saw a faint blush on the girl's face.

"…You're a tease. Of course, you'd be a tease." She sighed as she began the exchange.

"Only when I'm comfortable around someone, Niijima-Senpai, and because of you, I feel relaxed for the first time since my arrest. Thanks," Ren said gratefully with a soft smile, causing Makoto to look at him in surprise before her lips parted into a gentle smile herself.

"You're welcome, Amamiya-kun. And please, call me Makoto," She said kindly as she brought her hand out, prompting Ren to immediately do the same and clasped it in a friendly handshake.

"Only if you call me Ren. Fair's fair, after all," He responded in kind when his phone went off. Grabbing it, he saw that it was a message and opened it, his small smile widening as he read what he just received.

"Someone seems happy," Makoto stated with her arms crossed and an amused expression.

"Just got a text from someone I know who's visiting the area for work. She's my cousin's girlfriend, but she's pretty much family at this point. She messaged me saying that she's planning on visiting early next month to say hi before she goes home for a bit. I can't wait," Ren explained with a wide grin, and Makoto couldn't help but be happy for him.

"That's great! I hope I get to meet her then. Sounds like you care about her very much," She requested, smiling when he gave her a nod, before turning towards the train with a wave. "Well, good night, Ren-kun. I'm planning on coming over tomorrow to take you to school, so I expect you to be up nice and early. Send me a text when you get back to Leblanc so I'll know you got back safely."

"No worries, Makoto-Senpai. I'll let you know. I'll see you in the morning," Ren promised with a wave as he watched the train doors close shut with his new friend inside, smiling as it departed before turning towards the station exit in a much better mood than what he had in the morning.

 _I can't believe how much of a high note this day's ending._ Ren thought with a wide grin as he walked down the streets of Yongen with his hands in his pockets and an aura of happiness around him. _Woke up having dreamed of a possible apocalypse happening, about to go to bed with a new friend and an eventual visit from Aneki in just under a month. Sure, the principal and teacher weren't all that great, and I could've lived without talking about my sewing lessons, but all in all, today wasn't all that bad. Not to mention I found a kindred spirit in action flicks. I wonder if I could convince Sae-san to have us watch a movie when it's her turn to watch me._

The happy teen's smile had not left his face the entire trip back to the store, though it did shrink from a wide grin to a small, content parting of lips. As soon as he reached the door, he reached under the mat and found the key he was told would be there and unlocked it before putting it back. He also noticed that the sign was still set to open, thinking that Sojiro simply forgot about it, and went ahead to flip it over to close. Satisfied, he entered the doorway, locking it as soon as he was inside, and reached into his pocket to let Makoto know he managed to get home without any problems when he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

It was the crimson app from before. The very one that he deleted twice now. Back in the very same spot that it was before it was removed.

 _The strange app is back? How the hell does it keep showing up? I know I deleted the thing last night. I was super tired, but I definitely remember getting rid of it._ He thought, his head unable to wrap around the mystery that was the crimson app, before he let off a tired sigh and moved it into the trash bin once more. _I should reboot my phone as soon as I send Makoto-senpai a message and call Dad and Gramps. Maybe that will get rid of the thing for good._

With his good mood gone, the young man let off a tired sigh and sent his message to his new friend before going towards the yellow public phone on the counter to let his guardian know he was home. Satisfied with is two main objectives finished, he headed towards the stairs to his new room and prepared to go to sleep. He had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be very long day.

And his feeling was right on the spot. Only problem was, he severely underestimated how hard tomorrow, and the rest of his life after it, was going to be.

* * *

Author's Note:

And that, Tricksters, is the remastered Chapter 2 of Trials. Not all that much different than the original, but I did end up omitting a scene here and there to make it more condense and less redundant all in all. It's going to be like that with the majority of the chapters that I've worked on, with a couple of them either split apart or even removed entirely. You'll know it when you see it. Hope you guys like the little edits that I've made so far. They are necessary for an…intregal part of the story that I've ended up changing. I will explain in the future, though. Can't get too far into it. For now, though, thank you all so much for reading my work. Hope you all have a pleasant time and I will see you in the next update.

Until we meet again, Tricksters. Farewell.


	3. Thou art I: The Fool's Awakening

Chapter 3: Thou art I; The Fool's Awakening

4/11/ Early Morning/Overcast

-Niijima household-

Makoto hummed softly to herself as she ready her school bag on the couch. A small smile was on her face as she recalled the conversation she had with Ren the night before. Never in her life was she expecting a boy her age to not only be ok with her liking action movies, but willing to have in depth discussions about them as well. And it was her sister's ward of all people. The young woman was glad that she gave the boy a chance; happy to find such a diamond in the rough, so to speak. She sort of wished that their encounter started in better circumstances, but in the end, she wasn't complaining. She made a new friend that also doubled as her assistant in the Student Council thanks to Sae. Although she wasn't aware of her sister's idea, she was grateful for it, even if Ren wasn't all that willing to go through with it initially. Council work is going to pile up soon, and with her focusing heavily on her exams this year, she really appreciated the extra aid.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Makoto. I take it something good happened while I was gone?" Sae said as she entered the room in her usual attire.

"Sis! Good morning! I thought you weren't going to wake up until later," Makoto said in pleasant surprise.

"I managed to get my work done earlier than expected and came home while you were asleep," Sae explained as she went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. "Now tell me, did anything interesting happened last night that made you so happy right now? It's been a long time since I've heard you hum like that."

"Oh, it wasn't anything special. I just found out that Ren-kun liked the same movies that I do and we had a pleasant discussion about them while he was walking me to the station," Makoto explained as she grabbed her bag and tucked it under her arm, missing her sister quirking an eyebrow due to how she was addressing the young man they were asked to look after

"Really? Looks like I'm going to be dealing with marathons of Yakuza and Kung-Fu thrillers again," Sae said while shaking her head before checking her wrist watched and turned to Makoto with a bemused expression. "By the way, isn't it a little early for you to be leaving? I know you don't have any morning duties for Student Council today, so is there any reason why you're ready to go?"

"Oh, I promised Ren-kun that I meet with him at Leblanc and that I show him the way to Shujin. He's not used to Tokyo yet after all, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring him with me so he wouldn't get lost," Makoto said as she headed towards the refrigerator as well and pulled out a carton of orange juice.

"Good idea, Makoto. Looks like having you look after him during school turned out to be the best decision I've made," Sae praised with a small smile as she took a drink, causing Makoto to beam back in response, "It's also a good thing I convinced the faculty to give him a spot in the Student Council. Hopefully being your assistant will teach him a few things about responsibility and work ethic, along with giving you more time to focus on your studies. It's your final year after all and exams are just around the corner."

"I had the exact same idea earlier, Sis. I guess great minds think alike, huh?" Makoto said as she grabbed a glass cup from the sink and poured her juice in it before returning it to the fridge.

"You could say that," Sae nodded before putting a hand on Makoto's shoulder, causing her to look at the prosecutor curiously. "Now listen, Makoto, I know watching over my ward along with everything else you're doing will be difficult. But you are going to need to persevere and come out on top through any means necessary. Think of this as practice for when you finish college and enter the workforce. Life will be very hard for you in the future, trust me on that, but so long as you continue to work hard and be the best, then I know you'll pull it off. So, until then, focus on your studies, listen to what your instructors say, and get into a good college. You do that, and I will support you every step of the way, just as I always have. Got it?"

"…Yes, Sis. I understand," Makoto said softly, her eyes hard and determined, wanting nothing more than to follow her sister's words to the letter. She cared about the woman so much and wanted do whatever she could to help her out and make her proud. She will admit that she was feeling a lot of pressure from the prosecutor's words, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. All she had to do was follow the path Sae set out for her, and she will be successful and finally be able to ease the burden she was placing on her sister for being so young and inexperienced.

"Good, now get going. Amamiya-kun might be waking up now and while Yongen isn't that far of a ride from here, it would be best to get to him as early as possible so you two can start your day. You can even give him a tour of the school if you have the time." Sae instructed as she gave her little sister a quick pat on the head before heading towards the kitchen table, where her laptop was located, and proceeded to activate it to get to work.

"Good idea, Sis," Makoto nodded as she drowned her juice in one go before heading towards the door, kneeling to put on her shoes.

"Oh, and Makoto?" She heard her sister call out. "Let Amamiya-kun know that we will be looking after him during Golden Week. His grandfather suggested that I should allow him to stay here every so often to get a more accurate report on his probation, and Golden Week will be the best time for me to begin with that. You don't mind him staying with us for a few days, do you?"

"I don't mind! In fact, I'm actually really looking forward to the holiday now! I'll be sure to let him know before the day's done!" Makoto said with joy evident in her voice, something that did not escape her sister's notice.

"Hmm. Looks like the two of you really did hit it off pretty well. That's good. His rehabilitation is going to go very smoothly from here on out, then, and you might get credit for that. I'm pretty sure something like this will look very good when it comes to college recommendations. Keep up the good work," Sae said while nodding in approval, unaware that she had unintentionally dampened her sister's mood with the idea of using her newfound friendship with the 'felon' for college options.

It was one thing to get him to help with her council work, but it was another thing to simply use him as leverage for recommendations. She had done all she could in the past to make sure that she was on top so that colleges would scout her out but using her new friend's criminal record as leverage did not sit well to her at all. It felt like it was cheapening their budding friendship, and just thinking of that made her feel horrible for some reason. But she couldn't tell her sister that. Not right now anyways. Maybe in the future, once things have settled down, she'll let her know, but for now, all she could do was nod and listen to whatever her sister said.

Just as she always done.

"Oh, and don't forget to take an umbrella. Weather reports say it's going to rain soon, so be sure to keep yourself dry on your way to Shujin. Take one for Amamiya-kun as well just in case."

"Yes, Sis…"

* * *

-Leblanc-

 _Hmm… Decent sleep I guess. No dreams of impending doom or big nosed clairvoyants and their twin loli warden cosplayers at least._ Ren sighed as he sat on his bed, fully dressed in his new school uniform and ready to start the day. His night, despite having gone so well, kind of ended on the wrong foot for him thanks to the third appearance of the crimson app. He rebooted his phone before he went to bed in hopes of ensuring the thing wouldn't show up again, but he had a feeling that it will return sooner or later. For a mysterious digital application that seemed to be possessing his phone, it was surprising persistent.

 _Well, none of that matters now. Today's my first day of school and I have that to focus on at the moment._ He thought as he checked his phone for the time. _Makoto-Senpai should be showing up pretty soon, too. I should head downstairs and wait for her…_

With that in mind, he grabbed his school bag and proceeded to go down the stairs, where he was greeted by the sight of Sojiro by the counter and two steaming plates of curry sitting before him.

"Ah, I see you're actually going to school," Sojiro said with a small smirk as he gestured to the food. "Here, how about I feed you. Just make sure you finish before customers show up."

"Curry for breakfast… Guess I can't complain," Ren shrugged as he sat down on a barstool and stared at the food before him before turning his head to the other plate with a curious expression. "What's the other plate for? Planning on eating some yourself?"

"Nah. I already ate before showing up. Never a good idea to work in food service while you're hungry. Never ends well," Sojiro denied while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really? Then who's the other plate fo—"

* _tingaling*_

"Excuse me. Sorry for barging in," Makoto's voice rang through the café as she entered, the ringing of the bell still echoing slightly as she came in.

"…Oh. Never mind then," Ren muttered while giving Sojiro a side-eyed stare, to which he responded with a smug smirk.

"Saw this coming a kilometer away, kid. I've been around the block longer than you have," The café owner stated before turning to the guest with a kinder smile. "Good to see you, Niijima-chan. I was just making sure the kid here had some food in his gut before sending him out. Got a plate ready for you too, so dig in."

"O-Oh! Are you sure? I don't want you to just give me food for free. I can pay for it." Makoto stammered as she reached into her bag to get her wallet out, pausing when she saw Sojiro raised his palm up in front of her.

"No need to worry. I've got plenty made, so giving away a couple plates for free isn't going to hurt me at all. Now eat. You two have a long day ahead and such days are best done with a full stomach," The man said as he made another gesture, this time towards the plates of curry before him.

Relenting with a small sigh, Makoto headed towards the counter and sat down, giving Ren a brief smile, which was returned, before the two gave a silent prayer for the food, grabbed their respective spoons and dug it into the curry. The pair proceeded to have a bite of their breakfast, their eyes wide when the food enter their mouths, and looked like they were about to cry tears of joy as soon as they swallowed their first bite.

 _So good!_ The pair thought simultaneously before beginning to dig into the wonderful meal before them, Ren frantically wolfing it down without a second thought while Makoto was eating it in a more refined, but no less eager manner. Sojiro simply smirked as he watched the pair eat his work with fervor, happy to see another set of satisfied consumers.

 _Gets them every time._ The man thought while shaking his head in amusement.

"Thanks for the food!" Makoto and Ren said together as soon as they finished their meal, their plates practically cleaned off due to how delicious it was.

"That was amazing," The brunette sighed in content.

"Got that right. Best damn meal I had in a long time," The raven-haired teen agreed as he rubbed his stomach.

"Heh, flattery's not gonna get you two anywhere," Sojiro chuckled, secretly pleased that the pair loved his food. "Now get going. Odds are likely that train schedule's gonna be off today, so you two better be off now or you'll be late. Kid, turn the sign over to open before you leave. Also, thanks for switching it to close last night. I forget to do that sometimes so I…appreciate it I guess."

"No worries, Boss. I got it," Ren nodded with a thumb's up, masking his amusement in seeing Sojiro uncomfortably thanking him with his usual poker face.

"Good, And Niijima-chan, make sure the Wallflower over here doesn't get lost on the way. City's big, after all…"

 _Wallflower? That supposed to be a joke on my name? Seriously?_ Ren thought with an eye twitching in irritation as Makoto stifled a giggle with a hand over her mouth and Sojiro smirking again in his usual smug way due to the boy's reaction.

"I…I'll try, teehee…" She let out a soft laugh before dragging her annoyed schoolmate out the doorway by the wrist, the man behind the counter shaking his head as he saw the pair turn his store sign to open and leave towards the station through the window.

"Heh, kids these days," He muttered as he grabbed the dirty plates and put them in the sink before starting the brewer, ready for a new day of work.

* * *

Morning/Raining

-Ayoama Itchome subway platform-

 _Ugh… Boss was right. Transfers are a pain. Not to mention the ride itself was awkward as hell._ Ren thought as he and Makoto exited the train, the both of them sporting light blushes on their faces and looking away from each other. Sojiro was correct in saying that the train schedule was going to be off for the day, which unfortunately meant that the subway was completely packed. It was so bad that the pair ended up pressing against each other the entire way to their destination, blushing and apologizing to one another nearly the whole trip. Twice over, technically, since they had to transfer to another train that was just as, if not more, cramped than the last one. He heard that the subways were packed most the time, but it felt like he was trapped like a sardine in a tin can for the longest time.

"Um… Sorry about the subway," Makoto spoke up nervously as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as the two climbed the stairs towards the outside. "I-I wasn't expecting it to be so crowded today. It is quite packed usually, but not like this. I suppose the awkward schedule really made everyone scramble to whatever train they could get on to not be late."

"Yeah… Just like us, I suppose. Although we're kinda short on time because of that…" Ren muttered while pushing up his glasses and fighting to get rid of his blush. He didn't really mind that they ended being so close to each other. It felt kind of nice, if he had to be honest, but there was no way he was going to admit it. Not only would it be incredibly awkward, he had a feeling if he said that out loud, he'd get a punch to the gut. Maybe even more, considering she said she knew self-defense. Who knows what kind of martial arts skills she knows that will let her take down an unsuspecting pervert with ease?

"In any case, let's get going," Makoto suggested while rummaging her bag, her faint flush slowly receding. "The school's not that far from here. All we need to do is walk for a few minutes and we're there. Also, this is for you."

"Huh? An umbrella?" Ren asked as he was given a black, tube like object.

"Yes. Sis said that there's a good chance of rain today so she suggested that I bring a couple and give one to you," She responded as she pulled out a pale blue variation of it for herself and popped it open.

"Wow. Good call on Sae-san's part," He said with a nod as he opened his own umbrella and the pair proceeded to enter the rain and onward to school

The walk itself was a quiet one, not unlike their train ride, but unlike the awkward trip underground, the walk was more pleasant than anything. Lots of students were walking by the pair, chatting amongst themselves amicably or rushing down the sidewalk to get out of the rain. Some students that passed by gave Makoto a polite wave and greeting, which she returned in kind, and Ren couldn't help but smile at the attention she was getting. He pulled out his phone to check to see how they were doing on time, only to pause when he noticed something odd once more.

"Ren-kun? Is something wrong?" Makoto asked when she noticed the frizzy-haired teen wasn't walking beside her anymore, and headed back to him to see what was happening.

"I'm fine, but I don't think my phone is," He said slowly as he showed her the phone, which, once again, had the crimson app downloaded again, this time expanded to fill half the screen, like it did the first time.

"Oh. That's an unusual looking app. Is it for navigation?" She pondered as she pressed it, confused when it didn't do anything.

"I'm not sure what it does. The thing keeps popping up at weird times and I can't get rid of it. In fact, I—"

"Good morning! You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late," The pair heard a man's voice, and the two turned to see a silver car parked in front of them, the driver being who Makoto recognized as Kamoshida, the school gym coach. However, the two noticed that he wasn't talking to them, but behind them, and they turned to see who he was addressing towards.

It was a young woman who looked to be their age, sporting light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a general foreign air around her. She was wearing what looked like a modified Shujin uniform; the black blazer over a white varsity hoodie that reached down to her plaid skirt and nearly hid it from view, and red stockings with brown boots. To Ren, the girl looked vaguely familiar to him, but he wasn't entirely sure where from. For Makoto, however, she was simply staring at the girl blankly, her face betraying nothing as she watched the blonde head over to the car somewhat hesitatingly.

"Sure, thank you," She said as she neared the vehicle, sparing a glance to the pair for a quick moment before entering.

"Ah, Niijima. Didn't see you there. You and your friend need a lift too?" Kamoshida asked politely as the blonde fastened her seatbelt.

"Oh no, we're fine, Mr. Kamoshida. Thank you for asking though," Makoto insisted in a faux-polite tone, something that Akira noticed immediately, but didn't call out on for the moment.

"Alright, then. But try and hurry on to school, ok? Can't have the Student Council President be late for class and set a bad example for everyone," The man teased with a wide grin as he pulled up the window, but not before the pair noticed the blonde's depressed expression for a short moment.

The two stared at the car as it drove off, Ren curious as to why the girl in it looked so upset and turned to Makoto for answers when he saw a look of pure and utter contempt. It was honestly a little frightening to him to see such a face on the girl, considering she was nothing but nice to him, if a little awkward at times. He was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the sounds of footsteps running towards them, and turned to see a punkish looking guy his age approaching them. The guy had the typical Shujin blazer and plaid pants, but replaced the white shirt with a yellow one with a star-shaped ZOMG logo in the center, wore a white belt and his suspenders hanging loose on his sides, and wore white sneakers that looked like they had the image of a red sun on them. All in all, with the dyed blond hair and overall thuggish demeanor, the guy looked like a stereotypical delinquent to him.

 _Actually, the guy kinda reminds me of Aniki when he was as a first year, with the dyed hair and all._ Ren thought as the vulgar looking teen ran past him and Makoto, as if he was chasing the car that just left. _Makes me wonder if this guy is just trying to fit in or an actual bonafide delinquent…_

"Dammit, screw that pervy teacher," He heard the boy grumble once he stopped running, irritation even though he couldn't see his face.

"Pervy teacher…?" Ren repeated softly, looking at Makoto for clarification and unaware that he still had his thumb on his phone, with the crimson app still active.

"An apt description of him, vulgar as it is…" Makoto said slowly with a bit of venom in her voice, making Ren double take at the unexpected tone.

"Huh. What do you want?" The vulgar boy called out to Ren, hearing the fuzzy teen when he was staring angrily at the road, and stalked towards him with a fierce look in his light brown eyes. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"Kamoshida?" Ren repeated, looking just as lost as he was before.

"That's who was in the car just now, Ren-kun. Shujin Academy's P.E. teacher; Suguru Kamoshida…" Makoto explained with an exasperated sigh, causing the punkish teen to turn to her in shock.

"What the—Prez?! The hell're you doin' here?! Shouldn't you be in school already like the goody two-shoes you are?!" The punk exclaimed.

"I'm helping my new assistant find his way to school since he's new here. And I would appreciate it if you keep your comments to yourself, Sakamoto-kun." Makoto said sternly with a harsh glare, spooking the punk before turning back to Ren with a softer, but still exasperated expression. "Ren-kun, this is Ryuji Sakamoto, one of the more notorious delinquents in Shujin. If you don't want to have any difficult times during your stay here, I suggest you stay away from him. Trust me, he's nothing but trouble."

"Hey! It ain't my fault I'm like this! It's that damn bastard Kamoshida that started it all!" Ryuji exclaimed before looking away in frustration, "Effin' prick thinks he rules the school like he's king of the castle or somethin'…"

"A castle? Seriously?" Ren questioned, wondering about the analogy for the school. It honestly looked more like a prison to him than a castle, but he supposed everyone has their own way of thinking things.

"Sakamoto-kun, that's enough," Makoto sighed as she placed a hand on her head to alleviate the incoming headache she was getting from dealing with the punk. "I understand how you feel about Kamoshida, but this isn't the time and place for it."

"The hell you talkin' about, Prez?! You hate the guy just as much as I do! Don't think that I don't remember the bastard try t' perv on your sister when she wasn't lookin' durin' the School Festival last—!"

"Don't you dare bring that up, Sakamoto-kun. That is not something I want to hear right now," Makoto said in a calm, yet terrorizing tone, her auburn eyes practically red with rage as she glared at the punk, causing Ren to actually step away from the girl a little in both fear and surprise.

"Alright, alright, jeez! I won't bring it up! Just stop lookin' at me like that! Seriously, you're pretty harsh for a pushover, ya know," Ryuji grumbled, ignoring the seething rage that was emanating from said president, before turning to the new student with a curious expression. "So you're her assistant, right? Don't think I've seen you before, man. You new or somethin'?"

"Yes he is. Ren-kun is a transfer student that just moved here a few days ago. Our families are acquaintances so we were asked to help him adjust to his new life here," Makoto sighed while shaking her head, trying to let go of her anger for the time being.

"Really? No wonder he doesn't know Kamoshida. Huh…" The punk said as he looked at the seemingly impassive teen contemplatively before shaking his head. "Ah forget. C'mon, let's get goin'. Rain's not too bad, and if we don't book it, we're gonna be late. Can't have Miss Prez here ruin her perfect attendance either."

"Wait, Sakamoto-kun. You need something first," Makoto spoke up as she gestured Ren to come near her, who simply nodded in response.

"Ah, c'mon Prez, are you gonna lecture me 'bout my hair again? I already told you I'll get on…" Ryuji began to complain until he paused, realizing that he wasn't feeling the rain drizzling on his head. Looking before him, he saw that Makoto was holding her umbrella over him, while she herself was standing beside Ren under his umbrella to stay dry. "…The hell?"

"What? Just because you're a troublemaker, doesn't mean I won't help you out. I'm the Student Council President, which means it's my responsibly to help out any student in need. And that includes you. So take it. I insist," Makoto explained as she held her umbrella out to Ryuji, her expression still stern but her voice a bit softer than earlier, and Ren couldn't help but smile a little at her action.

 _She really is like Sae-san, but more openly compassionate and caring towards others. I think I'm going to like working with her in the council…_ He thought as he turned to Ryuji, who was still staring at Makoto with a stunned expression, and gave a small hum in affirmation, snapping the punk out of his stupor.

"Oh… Um… Thanks, I guess…" The blond muttered as he took the umbrella out of her hands.

"Think nothing of it. Just doing my duty. Now let's get going, or else we'll be late for—"

 _*ba-bum*_

"Ahh!" The boys jumped when they heard Makoto cry out in pain, growing concerned when the noticed her clutching her head.

"Makoto-san! What's wro—gah!" Ren cried until he suddenly became lightheaded, dropping his umbrella in pain and grabbed his head to alleviate it, his other hand gripping his still active phone tightly.

"Whoa, you two doin' alri—argh!" Ryuji groaned, his head pounding as well and grabbed his own head in pain, nearly dropping his gifted umbrella in the process.

The pain was only for a brief moment, but it was quite intense for the trio. After a few seconds, they recovered, looking slightly ragged and, in the case of Ren and Makoto, a little wet.

"Oh… Is everyone alright?" Makoto groaned as she rubbed her forehead slightly to rid herself of any remaining pain.

"I…think so. Sorry for getting us wet," Ren apologized as he grabbed the umbrella again, with Makoto shaking her head to insist it was fine.

"Ugh… My head hurts. Dammit, I wanna go home," Ryuji moaned pathetically, the pair behind him silently agreeing with his idea, before all three headed towards the school.

Or at least, what they thought was the school.

* * *

 _"There was a terrible subway accident around that time. Don't you remember?"_

 _"Kind of… I think I remember Makoto saying you had to go to work early because of that… Something about it being related to…psychotic breakdowns…?"_

 _"That's right, but the way you say that is as if it wasn't any of your business… It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your school."_

 _"…What do you mean?"_

 _"Let me rephrase the question then. On that day, were you still considered an 'ordinary'? Please be honest with me, Ren-kun…"_

 _"…"_

 _"…Let's change the subject. Your grandfather and I signed you up at Shujin Academy; an ordinary prep school that can be found in any city. At least, that's what it's should've been… What exactly happened around that time? Tell me everything, Ren-kun. Truthfully…"_

* * *

Morning/Rain

-Path to Shujin Academy…?-

The three students made their way towards Shujin Academy, Ryuji leading the way with Makoto and Ren following with the latter putting away his phone out of habit, unaware of what was happening to the world around them due to the device. Or more specifically, the crimson app.

It was Ren who first noticed that something was off. When the trio entered a nearby alleyway to get to their destination quicker, the frizzy-haired teen had stepped on a puddle, only for the water to start slowing down as soon as it was in the air. It was brief, but he noticed it, looking back at the puddle with a suspicious stare as Makoto looked at him curiously.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"…I'm not sure. Probably my imagination," He answered while shaking his head.

 _"What The Hell!?"_

"Sakamoto-kun?" Makoto spoke up in surprise, she and Ren realizing that they had lost sight of blonde and proceeded to follow down the one-way path towards the school, hoping to find him and ask what happened. They did find him, standing just outside the alleyway exit with his borrowed umbrella on the floor, and immediately took notice of what caused the vulgar teen to cry in alarm.

It was hard not to notice, considering the prison-like structure of Shujin Academy was currently replaced by a grand looking castle, complete with a moat and drawbridge. It was like something out of an old children's book or a renaissance history text, and very out of place to the three Shujin Students.

"What… What in the world…?" Makoto gasped in shock, backpedaling a little in disbelief of what was before her.

"Did… Did we make a wrong turn?" Ren guessed as he turned his head back to the alley the three of them came out of.

"We didn't. This should be the right way to school. Prez and I took the route hundreds of times. It even says 'Shujin' on the gate," Ryuji said as he picked up the umbrella he dropped, and pointed at said gate, where it indeed said the word 'Shujin' on it.

"Well… There's no point of standing around here wondering what's going on. Let's head inside and find someone who can help us. Hopefully we can get some answers," Makoto suggested as she grabbed Ren by the wrist and proceeded to drag him with her inside the castle, with Ryuji following close by.

The moment they entered, they were greeted by the sight of a large, spacious room filled with chandeliers, black and white checkered floors decorated with red rugs, elaborate pillars with flags around them, a large stairway to what appeared to be the upper floors, and, oddly enough, a massive picture of a familiar looking dark-haired man in a golden suit of armor. The three of them paid the painting little mind, more focused on what was happening around them at the moment.

"Where… Where in the world are we?" Ren muttered as he folded his umbrella and handed it to Makoto, who accepted it and placed it in her bag without thought.

"I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore…" Makoto said softly as she looked around the large room, hoping to find someone who could aid them.

"Can't call for anyone either. No service," Ryuji spoke up with his umbrella folded in and holding out his phone to show to the pair, to which they brought up their own phones to confirm that, indeed, they had no cell service.

"This is completely abnormal. Where did we end up?" The lone female of the group questioned as she grabbed Ryuji's umbrella and put it in her bag as well.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Ren muttered with narrow eyes, the hairs on the back of his neck tingling as if he could sense danger coming towards them.

It was then that they heard the sounds of metallic footsteps approach them, and the three turned to see what looked like a man in a suit of armor coming towards them, complete with a large sword and shield on each hand. Makoto and Ren both became apprehensive at the sight of the knight, but Ryuji didn't really seem all that bothered.

"Geeze, you freaked me out," The punk sighed as he relaxed at the sight of some potential aid. "So, who're you? You a student?"

"How does he not see that that's not a student?!" Makoto hissed as she shuffled behind Ren, with him holding an arm out in a protective stance for her.

"Gotta say, man, that's one impressive costume. Is that armor real?" The oblivious teen asked as he walked towards the knight, growing impatient when the being remained silent. "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'."

"Sakamoto-san, I don't think it's a good idea to agitate the guy in full suit of armor and a sword that's bigger than you are," Ren spoke up hesitated, with Makoto nodding furiously in agreement.

"Well how else am I gonna find out what the hell's happenin'? Besides, this guy's not doin' anythin', what's the worst that could happen?" Ryuji shrugged as he went to give the knight a poke, freezing at the sight of another knight approaching them menacingly. "H-Hey. What's goin' on?"

"He warned you not to agitate them! Now look at what you've done!" Makoto practically screeched as she turned her head frantically to see if any more knights were coming.

"How was I supposed to know this was gonna happen!?" The punk teen yelled back, jumping a little when the first knight began to approach him. "Dammit, we gotta run!"

"No need to tell us twice. Let's get the hell out of here!" Ren demanded, grabbing Makoto by the arm and rushing towards the exit, only to be blocked by two more knights that entered from the gate.

"We're surrounded!" Makoto yelled as the knights began to circle around them, her, Ren and Ryuji fearful for their lives at this point.

"Effin' hell, why is this happenin' to—"

 _*Bash!*_

"Gyah!"

"Sakamoto-san!" "Sakamoto-kun!" Ren and Makoto cried when they saw Ryuji get struck to the ground by a knight's shield.

"Oww! You're breaking my bones, dammit!" The punk cried out defiantly, only to get stuck again and pass out.

"No! Sakamoto-kun, hang in—"

 _*Slam*_

"Kya!"

"Makoto-senpai!" Ren shouted as he caught his new friend, having passed out from the blow to the head by the knight's shield, only to feel a strong strike hitting his head as well. With his vision blurring, he could only hear one thing before succumbing to the assault.

"Take them away!"

* * *

-?-

 _What… What happened…? What's going on…? And why does my head hurt…?_

"Hey…? You two doin' alright? C'mon, wake up!"

 _Was that… Sakamoto-san? Wait… Where am I?_

Grabbing his head in mild pain, Ren began to sit himself up, vaguely aware that he was on some sort of bed, and blinked a couple times to refocus his eyes, a little surprised that his glasses were still on his face. As his vision began to clear, he turned his head to the right, seeing that Makoto was also slowly picking herself up from the strange cot that she was on, one hand rubbing the top of her head while the other was holding her brown headband. Glad that she was ok, he focused his attention on Ryuji, who seemed the best off out of the three of them before taking a look at his surroundings, grimacing when he realized what kind of room they were all in.

A prison cell.

"Hey, man. You alright?" Ryuji asked in concern.

"I've been better, but I'll manage," Ren muttered as the last of his headache began to fade before turning his attention to the third occupant. "How about you, Senpai?"

"My head is a little sore, but I'll survive," She replied as she placed her headband back on with a slight wince before looking around the room. "Where… Where are we?"

"Dunno. All I can say though is that this ain't no dream if us gettin' hurt's any sign…" Ryuji spoke up while scratching the back of his head nervously before turning towards the sealed door.

"…What's going on here? Why are we in a prison cell?" Makoto questioned softly, eyeing the torture chains on the walls in fear as Ryuji began pounding door and calling out for someone.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ren said as he got up from the cot and offered his hand to Makoto, who accepted it and stood up as well when Ryuji walked back to the pair more irritated than ever.

"Dammit, where are we?! Is this some kinda TV set…?" The punk teen exclaimed.

"Most messed up set I've ever seen if that's the case," The 'felon' muttered in distain, only to jump at the sounds of screaming echoing in the hall.

Loud, pain filled, and torturous screaming that made his blood go cold.

"What was that!?" Makoto cried as Ryuji and Ren sprinted towards the bars in hopes of finding out what was happening.

Once their hands were on the sealed door, they tried to strain their ears to hear what was happening, only to be greeted by the sound of more screaming. It was as if someone was being tortured at the moment, and it set all three students on edge.

"Whoa… whoawhoawhoawhoa… You're shittin' me, right?" Ryuji said in a panicked tone as he stepped away from the bars, Ren following close looking equally uncomfortable.

"We have to get out of here," The dark-haired teen stated, his eyes looking around furiously to find a way out of their confinement.

"There is no way out… I checked…" Makoto said in a defeated tone as she walked towards the boys with her head down.

"Can't we hide in the barrels? They should be big enough to fit us…" Ren questioned in a bit of a rushed tone.

"This ain't a movie, man. Shit like that don't work in the real word…" Ryuji grumbled as he clenched his fist. "Dammit, is there seriously no way out?!"

 _*stepstepstepstep…*_

"Huh? You guys hear that?" The punk spoke up at the sound of footsteps approaching, rushing to the door to see who was coming.

"Kinda wish I didn't at this point…" Ren said quietly when it was revealed that the footsteps were coming from the four disfigured knights that ambushed them earlier.

 _ **"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon!"**_ The lead knight spoke. _**"Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus, the two of you will be sentenced to death."**_

"Say what!?" Ryuji cried out as Makoto gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her hands and stepping away from the door. Ren however, narrowed his eyes as he caught a certain part of the knight's words.

"Two of us…?" He asked, clenching his fist as a bad feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach.

 _ **"That's right. The boys will be executed; however, the girl has a chance to live if she is willing to consent to being the lord's consort,"**_ The knight explained, causing a growl to come out of Ren while Makoto visibly shook at the request.

"The hell? You want the Prez to play music for your boss or something?" Ryuji questioned.

"That's…concert, Sakamoto-kun… Consort is something…completely…com…" Makoto tried to explain before collapsing on her knees with her hands over her mouth and a horrid expression on her face.

"Prez! What's wrong?! The hell does this 'lord' guy want?!" The vulgar boy exclaimed as he and Ren rushed over to her just as fearful tears started to escape her eyes.

"In simple terms, these guards' lord want us dead and senpai for her body… I'm sure you know what that means…" Ren stated in the calmest tone he could muster as he rubbed Makoto's back in an attempt to calm her down while Ryuji's face became red with rage.

"What!? That's effin' bullshit! That 'lord' bastard has no right to do somethin' like this!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

 **"Of course, I can. It's my castle. No one is allowed to do as they please here without my permission."** A distorted, yet familiar voice said, causing all three of them to look past the prison bars to see Kamoshida walking up towards the door.

Or at least, it looked like Kamoshida. The hair and face looked the same, but the man was wearing nothing but a red, heart printed cape that draped over his torso, a pair of pink briefs and a small gold crown on his head. The most disturbing part of this man, however, were his eyes, which were a sinister golden color. To Ren, the eyes reminded him of the child-like wardens he saw in his dream, but their eyes did not look near as menacing as this one's…

"Huh? Kamoshida? Is that you?" Ryuji asked as he grabbed the bars of the door.

"That's Kamoshida?" Ren questioned to Makoto softly, her crying finished but still looking a bit haggard.

"I…I don't know. It looks like him, but…" The girl trailed off, not sure what to make of the situation.

 **"I thought it was some petty thieves, but to think it'd be the local punk Sakamoto and good ol' President Niijima…"** The odd Kamoshida said while looking at the punk blond with a taunting smirk. **"Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh…"**

"You little…" Ryuji growled as his grip on the bars tightened.

 **"And you, little miss president. To think that the Star Student of Shujin would stoop so low as to hang out with the scummiest of scum? Now what would the principal and your sister say when they hear about that, eh?"** The golden eyed man taunted, a strange look in his eyes as he stared at the lone female in the group.

"N-No…" Makoto whimpered, distraught out of her mind as she tried to process what was going on.

"Hey, jackass! Leave them alone, will ya?!" Ren spoke up angrily with a bit of a different tone to his voice, standing before the fallen girl with a fierce glare behind his glasses.

 **"Oh, and it looks like you two brought a friend. I guess neither of you can do anything on your own…"** Kamoshida(?) goaded, the arrogant expression never leaving his face as he spoke.

"This isn't funny, you asshole! Let us out!" Ryuji screamed as he shook the door.

 **"How dare you speak to a king? It seems like you don't understand the position the three of you are in at all."** The crowned man said in an angry tone as he explained what the three of them did 'wrong'. **"Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting me. The king. The punishment for that is death.**

 **"It's time for the execution! Take him out!"**

"Sakamoto-kun!" Makoto cried out as the prison door flew open, the guards entering it quickly, pushing Ren and Makoto aside and surrounded the defenseless blonde while the golden eyed figure watched with sadistic pleasure.

"Goddammit…!" Ryuji growled as the knights moved in closer to him until he couldn't take it anymore, and tackled the nearest knight to the ground. "I ain't down for this shit! Let's get out of—"

 _*Bam*_

"Guh-ha!"

"Sakamoto-san!" Ren shouted as soon as he saw a knight punch Ryuji in the ground, bringing him to his knees. Wanting to help, the teen prepared to rush over to his side, only to be stopped by the sound of a certain someone crying out.

"Hey! Let go of me!"

"Makoto-Senpai!" He cried as he turned to his side, seeing Makoto being hung in the air by another guard by the arms, the being standing right next to the golden-eyed individual. With both his schoolmates captured, Ren had no idea what to do anymore, torn between who to save first and wondering what will happen if he wasn't able to save the other quick enough.

"The hell are you doin', standin' 'round?!" Ryuji called out in pain. "Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!"

"We'll be fine, Ren-kun! Just go and find a way out!" Makoto cried, fresh tears threatening to fall off her face as the guard tightened its grip on her.

"But… But I…"

 **"Oh, running away, aren't we? What a heartless friend you are…"** Kamoshida(?) taunted as he saw the look of indecision on the young man's face.

"He's not a friend…" Ryuji muttered out, his breathing labored due to the blow.

"And he's not heartless… If anything, you're the heartless one here, Kamoshida…" Makoto stated in defiance, her near crimson eyes glaring at Kamoshida(?) in utter disgust.

 **"Shut it! I wasn't talking to you!"** The strange man shouted before bringing his hand up high and slapped Makoto hard in the face, the sound it made practically echoing in the small chamber they were all in.

"No!" Ren screamed, wanting nothing more than to rush over to the hurting girl and help her, yet his legs were unable to move, too frightened to do anything. Too useless to stop them…

 **"Hmph. Pathetic scum isn't worth my time,"** Kamoshida(?) scoffed before grabbing Makoto by the face and gave her an intense stare. **"I'll have** _ **fun**_ **with you in a bit. Right now, though, I got someone else to focus on."**

The next few seconds were the most brutal moments for the three Shujin students, especially Ryuji. While Ren was held back to the wall at knifepoint and Makoto still in the arms of a knight, sporting a stinging red chick thanks to the slap, the poor blonde was being held by the remaining two knights near the exit as he was being brutally attacked by Kamoshida(?), verbally mocking him while doing so. Striking him in the face…

 **"Take this!"**

…sucker punching him in the gut…

 **"Worthless scum!"**

…backhanding him into the ground…

 **"Useless pest!"**

…and even spitting on the beaten teen until one of the knights picked him up from the ground and threw him to the unoccupied wall, battered and bruised like no other.

 **"Hmph… Where did all of your energy go? A peasant like you is not even worth beating."** The golden-eyed figure scoffed as he stared at the boy in contempt. **"I'll have you killed right now…"**

"Stop, Mr. Kamoshida! That's enough!" Makoto cried as she tried to struggle out of the soldier's grip with little to no success.

"Have you lost your fucking mind!?" Ren exclaimed, his fear slowly ebbing to anger as he watched the blonde be mercilessly assaulted without him being able to do anything about it.

 **"Hm…? What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am."** Kamoshida(?) said as he slowly approached the raven-haired teen.

"I just moved here two days ago, ya goddamn son of a bitch. Of course, I don't know you…" Ren responded, defiance clear in his eyes as he stared down the odd man before him.

 **"Grr… That look in your eyes irritates me!"** Kamoshida(?) growled as he kicked Ren to the wall before turning to two of his knights. **"Hold him there. After the peasant dies, it's his turn. Then I can finally have some fun with the president…"**

"Why you—Gah!"

"Ren-kun!" Makoto cried as she saw the pair of knights pin the ravenette to the wall before he could rush in, and began to struggle even harder to escape, much to her captor's annoyance.

"Stop struggling, girl! If you keep this up you will be executed just like the others!" The guard said as he tightened his hold on her, making her cry out as she felt her arms were about to be crushed.

Throughout it all, Ren stood motionlessly, metal arms trapping him to the wall as he watched Ryuji beg for his life and Makoto wailing in pain as Kamoshida(?) simply laughed at their misery. He never felt so helpless before in his life. He wanted nothing more than to help the two. To help those in need. Yet the last time he tried to help, he ended up getting sued. Was it worth it all? Was he willing to give everything up again just to save a stranger and a girl he only knew for about a day. He wasn't sure what to do anymore… There wasn't anything he could do… Not now… and not back then…

 _ **This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none…**_

His eyes popped open, unaware that he had close them, when an unfamiliar, yet soothing voice began echoing in his head, and a glowing blue butterfly flying pass him; a feeling of comfort washing over him as it flew by, the world around him suddenly adopting a familiar blue tint.

The same color blue that tinted the Velvet Room…

 _ **But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open for you…**_

The moment those last words were spoken, the butterfly disappeared in a flash, the room suddenly returned to normal, and his mind now clearer than ever.

But with that clear mind, came something that he was never expecting…

 _ **What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?**_ A dark voice similar to Ren's own echoed in his head this time, this one accompanied by the sound of shattering glass for some reason.

 _What? Who are you?_ He thought, becoming increasingly frightened by what was happening to him right now, especially since he recognized the voice that was calling out to him.

It was the very voice that he heard on his first day of Tokyo. The voice that echoed in his mind just before everything froze in time and the blue fire appeared in the middle of Shibuya…

 _ **Are you forsaking their lives to save your own?**_ The dark voice continued, ignoring Ren's question. _**Death and suffering awaits the boy and girl respectively, if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?**_

The moment those words echoed in his mind, flashbacks of his arrest started to appear; him trying to get the woman away from the drunk, only to be taken into police custody as a result, forcing him to leave his family, the only people he had that actually cared about him, and go off into the unknown by himself. He knew, logically, that he shouldn't have interfered. That the police should've been the ones to take care of that incident.

Yet… Despite that…

* * *

" _You did what was right, Ren. Even if the world doesn't believe you, know that I do. I'm your father, and I will always love and support you, no matter what."_

* * *

 _Dad…_

* * *

" _How can I be upset of my grandson for following in the footsteps of myself and your mother? You are just like her, you know. Just as headstrong and reckless. Doing whatever it takes to help others, no matter the cost. You're becoming more and more like my daughter Akira every day…and I couldn't be more proud."_

* * *

 _Gramps… Mom…_

* * *

" _You're a real man for savin' that lady, Cuz, even if the cops were bein' dicks to ya and sided with the damn drunk. I know the feelin', and I know you'll tough it out. Yer a lot stronger than I am at your age that's for damn sure."_

* * *

 _Aniki…_

* * *

"… _Ya know, you really remind me of a couple friends that I had growing up. They died back when I was in high school, but they risked themselves to help others, just like you did. Others might think of you as some delinquent, but you're a hero in my eyes for doing what you did. You're the man, Ren, and don't let anyone think otherwise."_

* * *

 _Coach…_

The words of his loved ones, the ones that he was forced to leave behind, began echoing in his head. Their kind words to him, words of encouragement and praise that helped him survive against the onslaught of ridicule and distain that enveloped him after his arrest. They were his anchor for keeping him sane for a good while after his arrest. They helped him from going off the deep end after all the bullshit that he had to go through in his short life. Even now, it felt like their words where helping him.

They believed in him. They cared about him. They supported him despite the arrest. Was he going to throw their faith in him away…? Just because he was afraid?

 _ **Well? Was it a mistake? Are you going to let the two, and yourself, suffer under the tyranny of this man…? And leave your loved ones for good?**_

 _ **Will you give in to your own fear and despair?**_

 _NO! It wasn't a mistake! I am not leaving them behind! And I will NOT GIVE IN!_ Ren roared in his mind, his eyes flashing in anger now more than ever as he saw Ryuji get picked up in the air by the neck and Makoto getting slammed into the ground with a metal foot on her back. _That woman was in trouble and no one else was there to help! I couldn't stand around and do nothing! That would go against everything Dad taught me when growing up! Against everything Gramps stood for in the name of justice! Against the words and faith Aniki and Coach have on me! Against the very reason why Mom sacrificed herself to save an old friend of hers before dying to her wounds after she had me! They wouldn't abandon anyone if they were in my position, and neither will I! If this good-for-nothing prick thinks I'm going to stand by and let him get away with killing Sakamoto-san and assaulting Makoto-Senpai…_

 _HE'S GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!_

 _ **Very well… I have headed your resolve…**_

 _ ***bu-bum***_

"Gyah!"

"R…Ren-kun?" Makoto muttered through the pain as she looked up, worry filling within her as she saw her friend suddenly began to thrash around, but not like before. Instead of trying to break free from his captors' grips, he appeared to be writhing with pain, screaming painfully to the point where tears were starting to form. She became even more scared now than before, wondering what was happening to him and if he was going to live.

What happened next, though, would be something that would be etched in her mind as one of the most amazing, yet terrifying events she had ever witnessed.

 _ **Vow to me!  
I am thou. Thou art I.  
Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice…  
Call upon my name and release thy rage!  
Show thy strength of thy will to ascertain all on thy own, though thou be chained…  
To Hell Itself!**_

The moment those words were spoken, the pain had passed, replaced with pure and utter hatred towards the 'man' before him, glaring at the figure as he was going to make the final call on the blonde's life. He knew, then and there, that he had to make a decision, the very decision that Igor was telling him about. Although, if he had to be honest, there wasn't really much of a choice in the matter. After all, out of all the options that he had for this moment, there was only one that he was willing to take. No matter the cost.

 _ **Shall we begin?**_

 _Yeah. Let's do this… Me…_

 **"Execute him!"**

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The entire room was silent, save for the echoing of Ren's voice. Makoto and Ryuji were stunned to hear him yell like that, while Kamoshida and the guards simply became more annoyed and turned to the raven-haired teen, the one holding Ryuji dropping him to the ground and the one on top of Makoto stepping off of her to approach the new target.

None of them aware of the danger they will face.

 **"You desire to be killed that much? Fine…"** Kamoshida(?) said with a nod to a knight, who proceeded to strike Ren in the face, knocking his glasses off towards Makoto in the process.

She grabbed them quickly and held them tight, whimpering when she saw two spears crossed around her friend's neck. Tears were falling from her face once more, worried that this was going to be the last time she was ever going to see Ren ever again, while Ryuji was turning pale as a sheet as he saw a knight raised its sword on Kamoshida(?)'s command at the guy who tried to help him, attempting futilely to pick himself up with the wall. It looked to him like he was going to fail at something important again, only this time someone else was going to pay the price with their life. The two of them never felt so useless. They wanted to help Ren in some way, but there was nothing they could do. To them, it was all over…

…except it wasn't.

Without warning, a strong pulse of energy seemed to blast out of Ren, while he himself was wide-eyed in shock as he felt something forming on his face. The pulse was so strong that it not only blew away the knight with the sword, but the spears off the two knights that were restraining him. As soon as he felt his arms free, he put his hands on his face, and was surprised to feel a mask had suddenly appeared over the top half of his face.

The mask itself seemed simple enough, a plain white mask with black markings around the eye holes that gave it an appearance similar to that of a bird. Acting on instinct, Ren attempted to remove the mask, screaming in pain as he tried to rip it from his face. It was as if it was glued on to him, if he had to describe it. However, after a few excruciatingly panful moments, he managed to pull the mask off, blood gushing from his face as screamed in pain for a moment before he let his head droop, his hair obscuring his eyes.

What happened next was something that both Makoto and Ryuji will never forget.

With a sinister grin and a bloody face, Ren picked his head up to glare at Kamoshida(?) with the same golden eyes that the man possessed before the teen suddenly became engulfed in azure flames face first. The sounds of evil laughter could be heard and what looked like a face in red embers appeared where Akira's own face once was for a brief moment. It was only a short while later when the red flames appeared once more in the form of an evil face, the blue flames themselves starting to fly off of Akira and take a shape of its own. Something humanoid. Ren himself seemed unharmed throughout the whole event, but not unmarred.

Gone was the school uniform he was wearing when he first entered the castle, now replaced with something most people would refer to as a magician's outfit; a black trench coat with a fancy grey collared shirt, black trousers with brown heeled boots and blood red gloves. The blue flames above him were also dissipating, leaving behind a figure that was twice as large as Ren, and incredibly imposing; with what appeared to be a red half jacket over a black shirt and white tie, crimson legs with bladed heels, a black face with crimson markings in the shape of a sinister grin and a pair of horns with similar red features, a large black top hat and lastly, a pair of massive black wings that seemed to give it the appearance of a cape.

The sounds of chains rattled as they appeared around Ren and the large figure, as if the two were chained together, both the teen and the winged being bearing dark smirks and intense eyes. With a quick flick of his arms, Ren allowed his new ally to let lose another pulse of energy, this one blowing all the knights away and onto the walls and bars that surrounded the room, a couple of them even bursting in a plume of black smoke as blue embers swirled around wildly. Oddly enough, Makoto and Ryuji didn't feel any force from the burst of energy, while Kamoshida(?) was now whimpering on the floor in fear and scrambled to get away.

Ryuji couldn't help but stare at the frizzy-haired teen before him, the guy still sporting a smug smirk on his face and his arms up in a show of strength and confidence. In one moment, the guy went from being pinned to a wall and utterly defeated to wiping out every guard in the room in one go. He was honestly intimidated by the sight of the guy, but couldn't help but think how cool he looked at the moment.

For Makoto, she was feeling overwhelmed again, but for a different reason. She felt relief that not only her new friend was ok, but also had a new power that was able to save them. Although terrified when she saw the flames engulf him and his dark expression when the winged figure emerged, when the blast of energy blew the guards away, she felt the blue embers graze her momentarily, and instantly felt comfortable and safe by the touch. She had no idea how Ren had managed to do what he did, and admittedly quite worried about the kind of power he had unleashed, but he had saved all of them in the end, and for that, she would be forever grateful to him.

 _ **'I am the Pillager of Twilight… Arsène!'**_ The powerful figure spoke loudly, catching Ryuji and Makoto in surprise as they processed what was happening while Ren simply flexed his fingers as he relished the new power he had just obtained.

"What the…? It talked?" Ryuji gasped with wide eyes as he instinctively backpedaled to the wall.

"Arsène…" Makoto whispered the name, her hands covering her mouth as she recalled where she heard the name. "That's…the name of the famous storybook antihero created by Maurice Leblanc… Arsène Lupin, the Gentleman Thief!"

"For real…?" The blonde muttered as he stared at Ren, who was now staring at Arsène intensely.

 _ **I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.**_ Arsène stated in Ren's mind as he floated over his summoner, power emanating throughout its spectral body.

"Arsène, lend me your power. Give me the strength to get us out of here…to save the others… And pound this so-called 'king' to the ground." Ren requested to his other self, his dark eyes showing no fear as he made his demands.

 _ **Hmph… Very well…**_

 **"The hell is this? Who the hell are you?"** Kamoshida(?) demanded, now looking more confident than his initial reaction to the winged thief.

 _ **'I am a Persona, a being that resides in the Sea of Souls.'**_ Arsène explained, tilting its head as he brought an arm over is crimson-flamed face in a haughty manner. _**'I was called upon by my other self to aid him in his time of need. And I shall be with him until the end. You wish to make something of it, Keeper of Lust?'**_

 _Keeper of Lust?_ Both Ryuji and Makoto thought curiously as they turned to the golden eyed Kamoshida, who was glaring at the Persona with hate-filled eyes.

 **"Oh, I'll make something out of it! Guards!"**

The moment he called out to his men, two knights immediately stood to their legs, only to explode in a burst of red and black goo. The goo then quickly took form, creating a pair of creatures that could only be described as floating Halloween creatures; the two of them sporting pumpkin heads with manic grins carved on their faces, pointed hats, blue cloaks that seemed to be attached to the bottom of the pumpkins, and a single hand holding one lantern for each of them.

 **"Ha! How do you like that!? Now you'll know the true strength of my men!"** Kamoshida(?) bragged as he stared at Ren and Arsène with a cocky grin.

"The true strength of your men is to transform into a couple of Halloween rejects? Heh, this should be interesting," Ren stated confidently, one hand reaching over to his face and covering it while his other grabbed the chain that was floating around Arsène.

 _ **Aptly put, my other self!**_ Arsène telepathically praised as he spun around in a flourish, his black feathers flying around as his crimson smile seemed to widen in sadistic glee. _**Now, detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity to power… And Unleash It!**_

"Not a problem…" Ren grinned manically as power began coursing through him, azure flames circling around his feet as he began to call upon the power of his other self.

"Arsène… _**Ravage them**_!"

The moment the command was made, a pool of red and black energy began swirling around Arsène's hand, to which he eagerly thrusted into the ground. Immediately afterwards, the dark energy sprung out of the ground below one of the floating monsters, skewering it and making it dissolve in a puff of black smoke and mist.

 _ **"Jackie! NO!"**_ The other monster cried out in despair, surprising the others; believing it to be a simple, mindless creature, before it turned to Arsène and Akira in fury. _**"You're gonna pay for doing that, ho! BURN!"**_

Flames suddenly burst out of the lantern the monster was carrying, the embers shooing right towards Arsène and striking it in the arm, causing not only it, but Ren to falter as well.

 _Geh, that actually hurt._ The ravenette thought as he grabbed his arm in pain, as if _he_ was burned. _I see, so whatever damage Arsène takes, I take as well. Makes sense, seeing that he calls himself my other self. Looks like I have to be more careful than I thought._

 _ **Make haste, summoner! The Jack-O'-Lantern approaches!**_ Arsène called out, a few feathers falling off his wings, one of them landing in Akira's unharmed palm, as the monster began rushing towards the distracted teen.

Acting fast, Ren stepped back, narrowly avoiding being struck by lantern. The thing was not deterred, though, and quickly recovered to deal more swipes towards the teen, who was managing to avoid every blow so far through ducks and side-step, until he hit the wall to his side. The monster, believing that it managed to corner the springy teen, let off a quick laugh as it floated to Akira once more to bash it with its lantern. With nowhere else to turn, Ren pulled his unburned arm up in an attempt to block the attack.

It worked, but not in the way he expected.

 _*clang*_

 _ **"Heeho!? How did you do that?"**_ The monster spoke in surprise, seeing his lantern being blocked by a black feather with a blue aura around it.

Ren didn't respond as he stared at the feather curiously, his smirk growing more and more sinister when he saw it began to take shape into something he desperately needed at the moment.

A combat knife.

 _ **A gift for you, as congratulations for awakening to your true self.**_ Arsène stated as it observed its caller fight with unrestrained eagerness. _**Now, swing your blade!**_

"Heh, you got it," Ren nodded as he used his newly acquired strength to overpower the lantern wielding creature and deliver a quick slash to the face, causing it to falter back as it cried in pain.

 _ **'Excellent! You have done well for your first time, summoner!'**_ Arsène stated out loud in satisfaction as it slowly began to vanish. _**'This power of mine is yours! Kill your foes however you want. Run wild to your heart's content! No regrets! No hesitation! Do what you believe is right, and break the chains of oppression! Such as your duty as a Trickster! Hahahahahaha!'**_

 _No regrets, huh. That's just fine by me._ Ren thought as his other self completely disappeared, his white mask returning to his face in a flash of blue fire, as he rushed towards the staggering creature and delivered a hard kick to its large face. Smirking as he saw its head spinning around like a top, he threw his knife at the monster, striking it right in the head, causing it to scream in absolute pain before it dissolved as well, leaving Kamoshida(?) with no other aid.

 _Heh, show's over… Kinda wished they put up more of a fight, to be honest._ The teen thought in satisfaction, the rush of the battle now leaving him as he took notice of his new appearance. _Whoa, where did this come from. And why does it feel so good? It's like it was made for me or something…_

"Whoa… What was that just now…" Ryuji muttered as he stared at Ren in awe.

"Ren-kun…" Makoto simply whispered, her eyes wide as she looked at her friend while still holding his glasses, an indescribable feeling welling up within her as she recalled the things he did, all to protect and rescue her and Ryuji. She couldn't really think straight at the moment, but she knew now, more than ever, that she could rely on him.

 _Although I got to admit, he did seem quite intimidating when he was essentially tearing those monsters apart. Much different than how he was last night._ She thought with a small shiver, a little surprised and admittedly frightened at the difference between the good friend she had made the night before and the arrogant figure that saved everyone, and was about to pick herself up when she notice something on the floor. _Huh? Are those…_

 **"YOU!"** Kamoshida(?)'s angry voice called out, causing Ryuji and Ren to turn see the man walk up to them with most furious expression they had ever seen. **"What the hell did you do, you little—"**

"Get away from him!" Ryuji shouted, his energy returning and managed to pick himself up before rushing over to the large figure and successfully tackle him to the ground. "Ha! You like that you son of a bitch!?"

"Nice job, Sakamoto-san. Now let's get out of here." Ren nodded in approval as he and Ryuji headed towards the door.

"Good plan, but what are we gonna do when he gets up? Even if we close the door, we ain't gonna trap him in there without lockin' it. He'll just chase us down," Ryuji said as the boys rushed out of the cell.

"Not to worry. I got it covered," Makoto said as she came up to the pair, holding a key ring holding several keys in it.

"Whoa, nice! Where'd ya find that, Prez?" Ryuji asked with a wide grin while Akira nodded in approval.

"Found it on the floor. Seems like one of the guards or Kamoshida ended up dropping it when Ren-kun did…whatever he did," She explained while giving Akira a mildly wary stare, who tilted his head slightly in confusion from the look, as she closed the entrance behind her and locked up the door. "There, now there's no way for him to escape."

 **"Damn bitch!"** Kamoshida(?) roared as he sprung back up his feet, causing her and Ryuji to flinch at his sudden movement.

"You're not going anywhere, Kamoshida. So just sit back and relax, ok? I'm sure someone will find you down here. Eventually," Ren stated with a smug grin, instinctively tightening his gloves to give him a more sinister look, causing Makoto to step back a little at her friend's unexpected personality shift while Ryuji simply looked impressed.

"Dude, you're bein' really badass, right now, y'know that?" The blonde stated eagerly as he rushed up to the costumed summoner. "How did you do it? And what's those clothes? You didn't have them with you when we first showed up—"

 _*fwoosh*_

"Whoa! You changed back!" Ryuji explained when a flash of blue flames suddenly appeared around Ren before vanishing almost immediately, leaving the raven-haired teen with his school uniform once more.

 _The hell? Why did my outfit change? Is it because I just got my power?_ Ren thought as he checked himself once more before noticing Makoto approaching him, calmer now than she was a moment ago, with something in her hands. "Makoto-Senpai?"

"Here, Ren-kun. Your glasses," The brunette said as she gave the eyewear to the raven-haired teen, making him blink a couple times in confusion. "They fell off when the guard hit you in the face and I held on to them when they hit the floor. Thankfully, they're undamaged, so-"

 **"You brats!"** Kamoshida(?) interrupted, grabbing the bars of the cell and shook the door in a pathetic attempt to get free, snapping the trio back to attention and to focus on the matter at hand.

"This is effin' nuts," Ryuji stated eloquently before turning to Makoto and Ren, who placed his glasses back on shortly after the man started raging at the cage like an angry monkey. "Let's get out of here. Think you two can lead the way?"

"Hold that thought, Sakamoto-kun. There's something I need to take care of first," Makoto said as she handed the cell keys to Ryuji before turning back and approached Kamoshida(?) with a blank expression.

 **"Tch. And what do you want, you worthless cu—"**

 _*BAM*_

 **"YEOW!"**

"That's for trying to make me your sex toy, you perverted, good for nothing asshole!" Makoto screamed after delivering a swift, hard, and admittedly sweet punch to the golden-eyed man's face, who stumbled from the strike and ended up falling on his back from the force.

"…Hot damn," Ryuji and Ren muttered at the same time, the both of them looking at Makoto with wide, impressed stares.

"Phew… That felt good," The girl in question let off a breath of relief as she dusted her hands before turning to the boys with a serious expression. "Alright, let's get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can figure out what's happening around here and hopefully find our ways home. Sakamoto-kun, throw those keys in the stream near us. Ren-kun, you take point in case something tries to attack us. Stay close, and stay safe, you two. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" The two of them nodded obediently, feeling like they were in the army or something similar, and did as they were told; Ryuji chucking the cell keys into the flowing waters below while Ren took the lead and guided the others to find a way out.

 _Here's hoping we can escape this hell hole…_

* * *

-?-

"Ugh…! Why did I make such a stupid mistake!? Out of all the things I've could've done, I went and did _that_ and ended up getting caught! What am I, an amateur?!" A boyish voice exclaimed loudly in a cell, its body obscured by the shadows of the cage as the sound of pacing could be heard.

"Alright, alright… Calm down, Morgana, just think things through… You'll figure out how to escape. Just need to focus and not think about the torture the Shadows put you through… Huh?"

The figure paused its rant when it felt a rush of energy suddenly coming from the cells in the lower area. This energy was different than the ones it felt during its excursions. In fact, it felt similar to its own, yet more powerful. As if there was more potential to it. It had no idea what it was, but it was drawn to it, but not in the same way it was drawn to other things.

"This feeling… It's nothing like the guards. Does this mean there are other people out here? Maybe they can help me out!"

With that thought in mind, the being stepped out of the shadows and into the light to stand in front of the cage's door. The figure itself being quite small, and looking quite like a bipedal cartoon cat due to its odd design; a large head with big cat ears and massive blue eyes, black fur on the top half of his face while the bottom half was white, not unlike a mask, a yellow bandana on its neck and what looked like a tool belt around its waist, which was black and furry like the rest of its small body, save for the white tips on its hands, feet, and long cat tail.

"Here's hoping that whoever's coming isn't working for Kamoshida… Otherwise, I might never be able to finish my mission… Let alone get my true form back," The cat-like creature muttered as his tail slowly began to swish, wishing that whoever was the source of the power he felt would be someone who would be willing to help him get out.

Until then, though, he just had to wait.

* * *

Author's Note:

And that, my friends, is the revised chapter 3 of Trials. Took a bit longer than expected to get it out, but I think it turned out well. Fleshed a few things out here and there, which was what made it take so long to begin with, but over all, I'm a bit more satisfied with this piece now than before. Sadly, this is where the revisions will be on hold for a little bit. There's an event going on in the discord server that I'm in and I'm going to need to focus on that for a little bit before returning to the revisions. Hopefully, it shouldn't take me too long. I'm admittedly enjoying in reworking this fic and I can't wait to get these changes out of the way in order to get to the good stuff. Here's hoping it doesn't take me too long, though. In any case, I thank you all so much for reading my work. There will be more to come in the near future, so look forward to that, if you all so wish.

Until next time, my fellow Tricksters. Farewell.


End file.
